DEBT FINANCING TERMS AND CONCEPTS

Refers to debt financing to raise working capital through some sort of credit or capital expenditure. Companies can arrange bank loans to individuals or institutional investors or selling bonds or notes (the form of debt). Individual or institutional investors to lend money, the company's creditors, get the company's debt service commitment.

Appendix C
DEBT FINANCING TERMS AND CONCEPTS
This appendix is designed to provide definitions drafted in plain English for terms and concepts
used in connection with debt issuance. To be consistent with customary industry practice, the
term bonds is used to mean either long-term bonds or, more generally, bonds, notes, commercial
paper, certificates of participation, and other types of evidence of debt. The index to the
California Debt Issuance Primer (Primer) may contain cross-references to terms not defined
here in alphabetical order.
ACCELERATION
A remedy provided in many security agreements (including many indentures and bond
resolutions) by which the trustee may declare all future payments of principal immediately due
and payable after the occurrence of certain specified events—usually called events of default.
In some security agreements the trustee may be required to accelerate upon the occurrence of an
event of default. Sometimes acceleration can occur only upon the consent or direction of a credit
enhancement provider or only upon the request of the holders of a specified percentage of the
bonds (often 25 percent).
Generally, unless the security agreement provides otherwise, acceleration results in available
monies being used first to pay interest pro rata on all the bonds and, if interest is fully paid, to
pay principal pro rata on all maturities. As a result, all the bonds are placed on an equal footing,
regardless of their scheduled maturity.
ACCRUED INTEREST
In general, interest that has been earned on a bond but not yet paid—usually because it is not yet
due.
More specifically, this term is often used to refer to interest earned on a bond from its dated date
to the closing date.
ADDITIONAL BONDS
Additional bonds is a term found in indentures, trust agreements, bond resolutions, and other
bond issuance documents referring to bonds that may be issued in the future in addition to the
bonds being issued under the current document. Almost always, these bonds are on a parity with
the bonds being issued initially and may not be issued without meeting certain conditions
APPENDIX C: DEBT FINANCING TERMS AND CONCEPTS C-1
involving the level of revenues available to repay the initial bonds and additional bonds,
maximum amount limitations, and other conditions. These conditions are often referred to as the
additional bonds test. See Parity.
AD VALOREM TAXES
An annual tax that is a uniform percentage of the value (or assessed value) of property.
ADVANCE REFUNDING
See Refunding.
ALL-HOLD RATE OR HOLD RATE
The interest rate on any auction date equal to a percentage of a variable index specified in the
indenture or the trust agreement—typically the Bond Market Association (BMA) Index or the
London Interbank Offered Rate (LIBOR)—provided such rate does not exceed the maximum
auction rate specified in the indenture or the trust agreement.
ALTERNATIVE MINIMUM TAX (AMT)
An income tax based on a separate and alternative method of calculating taxable income and a
separate and alternative schedule of rates.
With respect to bonds, the interest on certain types of qualified private activity bonds—not
including qualified 501(c)(3) bonds—is included in income for purposes of the individual and
corporate alternative minimum tax.
In addition, the interest received by a corporation on all bonds held by it is included in federal
corporate adjusted net book income and adjusted current earnings, a portion of which may
increase the alternative minimum taxable income of such corporation.
AMORTIZE
To retire the principal of an issue by periodic payments either directly to bondholders, or first to
a sinking fund and then to bondholders. Compare to Balloon and Bullet.
ANNUAL REPORT
The annual report is the report containing annual financial and operating data prepared and filed
with the Nationally Recognized Municipal Securities Information Repositories (NRMSIRs) and
state information depository (SID)—if any—pursuant to Securities and Exchange Commission
(SEC) Rule 15c2-12.
C-2 APPENDIX C: DEBT FINANCING TERMS AND CONCEPTS
APPLICABLE AUCTION RATE
The rate per annum at which interest accrues on an auction rate security for any auction rate
period.
ARBITRAGE BONDS
See Chapter 3, General Federal Tax Requirements.
ARBITRAGE YIELD RESTRICTION
With respect to municipal bonds, arbitrage is the profit made by issuing bonds bearing interest at
tax-exempt rates, and investing the proceeds at materially higher taxable yields.
The Internal Revenue Code limits the opportunity for borrowers to use monies associated with
tax-exempt bonds to acquire materially higher yielding taxable investment property. However,
certain exceptions are provided—in particular for reserve accounts and for investments during
temporary periods.
To the extent arbitrage is legally earned in respect of tax-exempt bonds issued after August 15,
1986, it may be required to be paid over to the federal government pursuant to the rebate
requirement.
If it is necessary for the yield on the investment of proceeds to be limited, the yield restriction
may not be used as a device to transfer the benefits of arbitrage to another person or entity. As a
result, the yield-restricted investment must be in either state and local government series (SLGS)
or tax-exempt bonds or must be in taxable investments that are purchased at a market price and
which are of an appropriate maturity (without regard to yield).
ASSESSMENTS
Assessments are charges in the nature of taxes upon property owners to pay the costs of facilities
or improvements that benefit the property.
Payment of the amount assessed (together with interest if not paid upon assessment) is secured
by a direct fixed lien on the property. The assessed payments are either used directly to pay the
costs of the facilities and improvements or, if paid over time, are used to repay bonds issued to
finance such costs. Special assessment financing proceeds are used for improvements relating to
the property, such as sidewalks, streets, gutters, sewers, and water systems. Benefit assessment
financing proceeds are used for items with a less tangible relationship to the assessment and are
based on a determined benefit to the landowner (i.e. parking and flood control projects).
See also Chapter 6, Types of Financing Obligations – Assessment Bonds.
APPENDIX C: DEBT FINANCING TERMS AND CONCEPTS C-3
AUCTION
An electronic competitive process through which auction rate securities (ARS) are sold at the
lowest yield rate (priced at par) at which sufficient bids are received to sell all securities offered.
ARS are sold at the clearing yield established by the auction to the investors placing bids at or
below the clearing yield. All ARS in a series will bear interest at the clearing auction rate for the
next auction period.
AUCTION AGENT
A third-party institution responsible for conducting the auction used in connection with the
periodic reset of the interest rate.
AUCTION DATE
The business day immediately preceding the first day of each auction rate period for an ARS.
AUCTION PROCEDURES
The process and timing for conducting the auction as set forth in the bond indenture or trust
agreement and summarized in the auction agreement.
AUCTION RATE
The rate of interest per annum resulting from the implementation of the auction, provided such
rate does not exceed a maximum rate specified in the bond indenture or trust agreement.
AUCTION RATE PERIOD
The initial auction rate period established by the underwriter at the time of issuance of the ARS
and, subsequently, each period during which a specific auction rate is in effect as a result of an
auction. The auction rate period commences on the business day after the auction date and ends
and includes the day preceding the next interest rate reset date.
AUCTION RATE SECURITIES
See Chapter 8, Fixed and Variable Interest Rate Structures – Variable Interest Rate Debt –
Auction Rate Securities.
AUTHENTICATING AGENT
The agent of the issuer appointed to authenticate bonds (i.e. to sign them as being authentic)
upon initial issuance or upon transfer or exchange.
C-4 APPENDIX C: DEBT FINANCING TERMS AND CONCEPTS
See also Chapter 1, Overview of a Debt Financing – Roles and Responsibilities of Principal
Participants – Trustee/Fiscal Agent/Paying Agent/Registrar/Authenticating Agent.
BALLOON
Principal of an issue to be paid in a single final maturity that constitutes a large percentage of the
total principal of the issue. See also Bullet.
BANK ELIGIBLE BONDS
Bonds (including certificates of participation or COPs) that are eligible under federal banking
law—the Glass-Steagall act—to be underwritten by commercial banks.
Bank eligible bonds generally include bonds that are directly or indirectly the obligations of the
general fund of a city, county, or state and bonds for single-family or multifamily housing.
BANK QUALIFIED BONDS
Tax-exempt bonds that are issued by certain qualified small issuers and which do not need to be
taken into account for purposes of determining the portion of certain financial institutions'
interest expense, which is disallowed as a deduction for federal tax purposes, because such
interest expense is allocable to debt (including deposits) deemed to have been incurred by the
financial institution to carry tax-exempt bonds.
BASIS POINT
See Point/Basis Point.
BLIND POOL ISSUE
See Pooling of Debt Issues.
BLUE SKY LAWS/BLUE SKY SURVEY OR MEMORANDUM
Blue Sky laws are the state statutes that regulate the manner of offering and selling of securities,
bonds, investment contracts, and stocks.
These statutes are commonly referred to as Blue Sky Laws because their purpose is to prevent, as
the U.S. Supreme Court posited in 1917, “speculative schemes which have no more basis than so
many feet of blue sky.”
Generally, in a public offering, a memorandum called a Blue Sky Survey is prepared, which
summarizes the treatment of the issue under the securities laws of each state and, occasionally,
the laws of Puerto Rico, Guam, the District of Columbia, and the U.S. Virgin Islands. The
APPENDIX C: DEBT FINANCING TERMS AND CONCEPTS C-5
preliminary form of this memorandum specifies the states in which the issue need not be
registered in a manner similar to SEC registration (i.e. no filings need be made), those states in
which action will be taken by the issuer to register the offering, and those states in which
registration is required but not contemplated and in which the securities are not, therefore,
permitted to be offered or sold. The final Blue Sky Survey generally reports that the registration
actions contemplated by the preliminary survey have been taken.
Certain types of securities are usually exempted from registration under most Blue Sky Laws on
the theory that the issuer either is a government organization or is supervised by a government
organization (even if the government organization has not approved the specific security to be
issued). One common exemption is for municipal bonds. However, several states do not exempt
some or all conduit financings from registration unless there is an independent exemption for the
nongovernmental borrower (e.g. the exemptions for exchange-listed or “blue chip” companies or
public utilities).
Certain transactions are also exempted, whether or not the securities being sold are exempted
securities. The most familiar are the private placement exemption and the exemption for offers
and sales to broker/dealers and institutional investors such as banks, savings institutions, trust
companies, insurance companies, investment companies, and pension or profit-sharing trusts.
The above exemptions—whether for certain securities or transactions—are only exemptions
from registration of the issue and not exemptions from the anti-fraud provisions of the state law
or from the requirement for a broker/dealer to register as such.
BOND COUNSEL
See Chapter 1, Overview of a Debt Financing – Roles and Responsibilities of Principal
Participants – Bond Counsel.
BOND INSURANCE
Noncancellable insurance purchased by the issuer from a bond insurer pursuant to which the
insurer promises to make scheduled payments of interest, principal, and mandatory sinking fund
payments on an issue if the issuer fails to make timely payments.
Bond insurance is never a substitute for the underlying creditworthiness of the issuer.
Payment of an installment by the insurer does not relieve the issuer of its obligation to pay that
installment. The issuer remains liable to pay that installment to the insurer.
Insurance agreements are subject to negotiation. Often, insurers will require that the indenture or
bond resolution treat the insurer as if it were a major owner of the bonds. The insurer's consent
is often necessary to amend the financing agreements. In addition, the insurer is sometimes
C-6 APPENDIX C: DEBT FINANCING TERMS AND CONCEPTS
given the right to accelerate the payment of principal if the insurer is ever required to make a
payment.
See also Chapter 1, Overview of a Debt Financing – Roles and Responsibilities of Principal
Participants – Credit Enhancement Provider.
BOND PRINTING
The printing of bonds on special paper designed to be difficult to counterfeit.
BOND PURCHASE CONTRACT OR AGREEMENT
In a negotiated sale, the bond purchase contract is an agreement between an issuer and an
underwriter or a group of underwriters—a syndicate or a selling group who have agreed to
purchase the issue.
A bond purchase contract generally contains the following:
• The purchase price to be paid by the underwriter (including any premium or
discount). See also Underwriter's Gross Spread (Underwriter's Discount).
• Certain terms of the bonds, such as interest rates, maturities, redemption provisions,
and original issue discount
• The circumstances under which the underwriter may cancel its obligation to purchase
the issue (e.g. changes in the tax treatment of the bonds and other events that would
make it substantially more difficult for the underwriter to sell the bonds to investors
• The good faith deposit, if any
• The conditions to the closing of the issue, which often include documents,
certificates, and opinions that are to be delivered on the closing date
• Any restrictions on the liability of the issuer
Other common terms for a bond purchase contract are contract of purchase or bond purchase
agreement.
In a competitive sale, the notice of sale, the underwriter's bid, and the issuer's acceptance of the
bid together constitute a bond purchase contract. Generally, these three items taken together
contain items similar to those in a negotiated bond purchase contract.
See Chapter 1, Overview of a Debt Financing – Basic Legal Documents.
APPENDIX C: DEBT FINANCING TERMS AND CONCEPTS C-7
BOND RESOLUTION
See Indenture/Bond Resolution (General, Supplemental, and Series).
BOOK ENTRY ONLY REGISTRATION
A form of registration of the ownership of registered bonds in which the owners of bonds are not
entitled to the receipt of printed bonds. Rather, the terms of the bonds are specified by the
indenture or bond resolution or by the form of a single bond delivered to a securities depository,
and the beneficial ownership of bonds is determined by entries on the registration books of the
registrar or by the records of members of the securities depository.
The sale of a bond issued in book entry form is evidenced by a receipt provided by the
broker/dealer to the investor and not by the issuance of a new registered bond with the owner's
name.
BROKER/DEALER AGREEMENT
An agreement between the issuer or auction agent and a broker/dealer specifying the procedures
for conducting the auction of the ARS and the settlement procedures for the payment and
delivery of the ARS.
BULLET
Principal of an issue to be retired in a single final maturity that constitutes the entire principal of
the issue.
A bullet issue has no amortization of principal or sinking fund redemption prior to its final
maturity. There may, however, be a sinking fund to accumulate the amount necessary to make
the final maturity payment.
CALL
To give notice of redemption; to redeem.
CAPITAL APPRECIATION BOND
See Compound Interest Bond.
CAPITALIZED INTEREST (FUNDED INTEREST)
Bond proceeds reserved to pay interest on an issue for a period of time early in the term of the
issue—also called funded interest. Capitalized interest may also refer to the interest to be so
paid.
C-8 APPENDIX C: DEBT FINANCING TERMS AND CONCEPTS
Commonly, in a project financing, interest is capitalized through the date on which it is
anticipated that construction of the project being financed with the proceeds will be completed
and the date when the project will be operating and capable of providing revenues for repayment
of debt service.
CASH FLOW
A comparison of cash receipts (revenues) to required payments (generally, debt service and
operating expenses).
A cash flow may demonstrate that receipts by an issuer from a project’s revenues or a mortgage
portfolio, or from collection of a tax, fee, or other charge will be sufficient to equal or exceed, in
each year the sum of payments of principal and interest on an issue and related expenses,
generally on the basis of specified assumptions, which may include a “worst case” scenario.
A cash flow may also be used in the context of showing that payments of principal and interest
received on investments held in an escrow will be received at such times and in sufficient
amounts to equal or exceed debt service on the issue for which the escrow fund has been
established, such as is required for an advance refunding.
Finally, in a tax and revenue anticipation note financing, a cash flow may be used to determine
the amount of the issuer's operating deficit, which is a factor in determining the permitted size of
the issue under federal tax rules. See Chapter 6, Types of Financing Obligations – Tax and
Revenue Anticipation Notes (TRANs).
CASH FLOW FINANCING
A financing in which the proceeds of the issue are used to pay current expenses of the issuer
when the issuer's current income is temporarily insufficient for that purpose.
Also sometimes called TRANs, TANs, or RANs (tax and revenue anticipation notes). The issue
is customarily scheduled to be repaid when current income exceeds current expenses. The issue
typically has a term of one year or less. See Chapter 6, Types of Financing Obligations – Tax
and Revenue Anticipation Notes (TRANs).
CERTIFICATE OF PARTICIPATION (COP)
A certificate (which looks very much like a bond) representing an undivided interest in the
payments made by a public agency pursuant to a financing lease (or an installment purchase
agreement).
A portion of each lease payment (and, therefore, a portion of each interest in a lease payment) is
designated as being principal and the remainder as interest. Even though COPs are not treated as
indebtedness of the issuer under state law (particularly the California Constitution), the federal
APPENDIX C: DEBT FINANCING TERMS AND CONCEPTS C-9
tax law treats the lease obligation as if it were a debt, and, as a result, the interest component of
each lease payment may be treated as tax-exempt interest.
See also Chapter 6, Types of Financing Obligations – Financing Leases and Certificates of
Participation.
CLEARING RATE
The lowest interest rate bid at which all ARS shares can be sold at par. The rate is paid on the
entire issue for the upcoming period.
CLOSING DATE (DELIVERY DATE)
The date on which an issue is delivered by the issuer to, and paid for by, the original purchaser
(often an underwriter). Also called the delivery date.
This may be a different date than the sale date or the dated date.
COMFORT LETTER
A letter provided by the issuer's (or sometimes in a conduit financing by the nongovernmental
borrower's) certified public accountant at the time the bond purchase contract is signed and on
the closing date. The letter confirms that specified financial information regarding the borrower
contained in the Preliminary Official Statement or final Official Statement is presented in
conformity with generally accepted accounting principles and that no changes in the financial
position of the borrower since the date of the last audited financial statements, other than those
changes disclosed in the comfort letter or in the Official Statement, have occurred.
The comfort letter often contains items of “special comfort,” which generally confirm that
financial information presented in the Official Statement (preliminary or final) is accurately
presented or calculated. The content of comfort letters is regulated by the American Institute of
Certified Public Accountants and, as a result, the content and style differ only minimally among
accounting firms.
COMMERCIAL PAPER
Notes of varying very short-term maturities (generally one to ninety days), which are intended to
be rolled over in a series of current refundings as portions of the issue mature from time to time.
Generally, the maturity of the commercial paper sold on each rollover is determined by market
conditions at the time of rollover. See also Line of Credit and Letter of Credit.
C-10 APPENDIX C: DEBT FINANCING TERMS AND CONCEPTS
COMPETITIVE SALE
The sale of bonds to the bidder presenting the best sealed bid at the time and place specified in a
published notice of sale (also called a public sale).
When bonds are to be sold at a competitive sale, the issuer typically specifies all the terms of the
issue other than interest rates and purchase price. When the issue is ready to market, the issuer
solicits bids by placing a notice of sale in one or more industry publications such as The Wall
Street Journal or The Bond Buyer and, if required by law, in a local newspaper of general
circulation. In the notice of sale, the issuer announces that it will accept sealed bids until a
certain date and time. Prior to presenting bids the underwriters evaluate the credit quality of the
issue and the municipal market and may form syndicates or selling groups. The bonds are
awarded to the underwriters presenting the best bid based on the criteria specified in the notice of
sale. Possible criteria include the Net Interest Cost (NIC) method or the net effective interest
rate or True Interest Cost (TIC) method of comparing the cost to the issuer of the financing. See
also Negotiated Sale.
COMPOSITE ISSUE
Two or more issues having substantially identical terms and which are sold and delivered at the
same time (by one or more issuers).
Generally, each issue is used to finance a separate project or purpose. The proceeds are not
pooled but instead, the issues are pooled into a composite issue for purposes of marketing. A
single Official Statement is used to sell the issues. These issues usually require bond insurance
or a letter of credit to guarantee each issue so that the credit rating and marketing of the bonds is
based on the insurance company or bank. This equalizes unlike credits in the eyes of investors.
See also Pooling of Debt Issues.
COMPOUND
To treat accrued interest as if it were principal, so that interest thereafter accrues on the sum of
the principal and the compounded interest.
COMPOUND INTEREST BOND
A bond on which interest is not payable until maturity (or earlier redemption), but compounds
periodically to accumulate to a stated maturity amount.
These bonds are also called capital appreciation bonds or CABs and are sometimes misnamed
zero coupon bonds.
APPENDIX C: DEBT FINANCING TERMS AND CONCEPTS C-11
CONDUIT FINANCING
A financing in which the proceeds of the issue are loaned to a nongovernmental borrower who
then applies the proceeds for a project financing or—if permitted by federal tax law for a
qualified 501(c)(3) bond—for working capital purposes.
Typically, the project financed is owned and operated by the borrower, but projects may also be
financed for lease to the private user or for sale pursuant to an installment sale contract. Statutes
authorizing conduit financings generally specify the nature of the projects that may be financed
and limit such projects to those with a specified public purpose. See also Chapter 6, Types of
Financing Obligations – Conduit Revenue Bonds: General.
CONDUIT ISSUER
A governmental agency that issues bonds in connection with a conduit financing.
CONTINUING DISCLOSURE
The ongoing disclosure provided by an issuer or obligated person pursuant to an undertaking
entered into to allow the underwriter to comply with SEC Rule 15c2-12. See Chapter 10,
Continuing Disclosure and Investor Relations Programs.
CONTINUING DISCLOSURE AGREEMENT
An agreement (sometimes a certificate) of an issuer or an obligated person containing
undertakings to provide annual reports and event notices pursuant to SEC Rule 15c2-12. See
Chapter 1, Overview of a Debt Financing – Basic Legal Documents.
COP
See Certificate of Participation (COP).
COSTS OF ISSUANCE
Costs of issuance are the expenses paid by or on behalf of the issuer in connection with the sale
and issuance of bonds.
These expenses may include, but are not limited to, bond counsel's fees, disclosure counsel fees,
trustee's fees, financial advisor's fees, feasibility consultant's fees, accounting fees, costs of
printing the bonds, costs of printing the Official Statement or other disclosure documents, costs
associated with obtaining a credit rating, and underwriter's gross spread. For some types of
bonds the costs of issuance can be paid from the proceeds. For other types of securities, for
example qualified private activity bonds, the costs of issuance borrowed as part of the issue are
limited to 2 percent of the proceeds.
C-12 APPENDIX C: DEBT FINANCING TERMS AND CONCEPTS
COUPON BOND
A bond that generally has a number of interest coupons attached to it and which is transferable
merely by delivering it to its new owner.
Each coupon is a negotiable instrument representing interest to be paid on the bond for a
specified period, usually six months. To receive an interest payment on a coupon bond, the
holder must detach the coupon and present it at the office of the trustee or paying agent—or at
the holder's own bank if the bank is willing to provide the service of presenting the coupon for
payment.
Coupon bonds are sometimes referred to as bearer bonds, since payment may be made to any
bearer of the bond or coupon, rather than to a particular registered owner. Coupons that
represent less or more than six months’ interest are sometimes referred to as short coupons or
long coupons, respectively.
Tax-exempt coupon bonds with maturities longer than one year may no longer be issued.
However, the interest rate on a bond is still sometimes referred to as the coupon rate. Compare
to Registered Bond.
COVENANTS
Contractual obligations in financing agreements whereby the party making the promises agrees
to perform or refrain from performing certain actions or to comply with certain requirements.
Most issuer covenants are found in the indenture or bond resolution pursuant to which the bonds
are issued. However, in a conduit financing, the covenants of the nongovernmental borrower are
often set forth in a loan agreement. The following covenants are typical issuer covenants:
• Payment of bonds—a covenant that the issuer will punctually pay the principal of and
interest on the bonds from the revenues that have been pledged to pay the bonds
• Extension of payment of the bonds—a covenant that the issuer will not extend or
consent to the extension of the maturity of the bonds
• Offices for servicing bonds—a covenant that the issuer will maintain a relationship
with an agency, such as a paying agent, in a designated location where bonds may be
presented for payment, registration, transfer, or exchange
• Further assurances—a covenant, to the extent authorized by law, to comply with
reasonable requests of the trustee to perform, execute, or deliver such acts as may be
necessary to confirm the pledge under the indenture
APPENDIX C: DEBT FINANCING TERMS AND CONCEPTS C-13
• Rate covenant—a covenant that the issuer will establish and collect charges with
respect to the project or the program loans sufficient to meet expenses and debt
service, perhaps with coverage
• Restriction on sale or disposal—a covenant not to sell or lease the project or to sell
program loans, except as specifically authorized in the financing documents
• Limitation on operating expenses and other costs—a covenant not to incur operating
expenses and other costs in excess of the reasonable and necessary amount of such
expenses
• Insurance covenant—a covenant to maintain insurance against various events, such as
fire, casualty, flood, earthquake, theft, liability or, in the case of a lending program,
mortgage default
• Reconstruction; application of insurance proceeds—a covenant to repair or
reconstruct the project with the proceeds of insurance, or if it does not make
economic sense to repair or reconstruct the project, insurance proceeds would be
applied to the redemption of the bonds
• Payment of taxes and charges—a covenant to pay and discharge all taxes and fees
imposed in connection with the project or the program except taxes and fees which
are contested by proper legal proceedings
• Tax covenant—a covenant that the issuer will not take any action or consent to any
party taking any action that will cause interest on the bonds to be subject to federal
income taxation or to cause the bonds to be arbitrage bonds
• Maintenance of the project—a covenant by the issuer to use its best efforts to acquire,
construct, and maintain the project with due diligence and in a sound and economic
manner
• Additional bonds—a covenant not to issue any bonds whose security is equal to or
superior to that of the existing issue unless certain additional bonds tests (often
including historical or projected coverage ratios) are satisfied
• Maintenance of books and records—a covenant to maintain financial records relating
to project or program revenues and costs in accordance with generally accepted
accounting principles
• Noncompetition—a covenant not to operate, and perhaps (to the extent permitted by
law) not to permit the operation of, competing enterprises
C-14 APPENDIX C: DEBT FINANCING TERMS AND CONCEPTS
COVERAGE
The extent to which revenues in addition to the amount necessary to pay operating expenses and
debt service are required to be collected by a rate covenant or by the conditions to the issuance of
additional parity bonds.
For example, the bond resolution pursuant to which water revenue bonds are issued may require
the issuer to maintain fees and charges for the sale of water at levels sufficient to enable it to
collect in each year the amount necessary to pay all of its water system operating expenses, debt
service on the bonds, plus an amount equal to 25 percent of debt service on the bonds. The
additional 25 percent is referred to as coverage.
CREDIT ENHANCEMENT PROVIDER; CREDIT ENHANCEMENT
See Chapter 1 – Overview of a Debt Financing—Roles and Responsibilities of Principal
Participants – Credit Enhancement Provider.
CREDIT RATING/CREDIT RATING AGENCY
See Chapter 1, Overview of a Debt Financing – Roles and Responsibilities of Principal
Participants – Credit Rating Agencies.
CROSSOVER REFUNDING
See Refunding.
CURRENT REFUNDING
See Refunding.
CUSIP
The acronym for Committee on Uniform Security Identification Procedures, which was
established under the auspices of the American Bankers Association to develop a uniform
method of identifying municipal, United States government, and corporate securities.
A separate CUSIP number is assigned for each maturity of each issue and is printed on each
bond.
DATE OF ISSUANCE/ORIGINAL ISSUANCE DATE
The date of issuance is the same as the closing date. However, the original issuance date, as used
on the standard registered bond form, is the same as the dated date.
APPENDIX C: DEBT FINANCING TERMS AND CONCEPTS C-15
DATED DATE
The first date from which interest is deemed to accrue on a bond.
The dated date is typically printed on the front of the bond and can be before or as of the closing
date, but not after the closing date. For fixed rate bonds, the dated date is generally the first day
of the calendar month in which the bonds are sold. For variable rate bonds, the dated date is
generally the closing date.
DEBT LIMIT
A statutory or constitutional limit on the amount of debt that an issuer may incur or that it may
have outstanding at any one time.
The constitutional debt limit for California cities and counties is found in the California
Constitution at Article XVI, Section 18, and for the State of California is found at Article XVI,
Section 1. See Chapter 4, State Constitutional Limitations – The 1879 Constitution – The
Debt Limit. California statutes also provide debt limits for a number of different entities. See
generally, Chapter 6, Types of Financing Obligations.
DEBT SERVICE
The total of interest, principal, and mandatory sinking fund payments.
DEBT SERVICE ACCOUNT (BOND ACCOUNT OR PRINCIPAL, INTEREST, AND REDEMPTION
ACCOUNTS)
The account or accounts into which the issuer makes periodic deposits to assure the timely
availability of sufficient monies for the payment of debt service on an issue.
DEBT SERVICE RESERVE ACCOUNT
See Reserve Account (Bond Reserve Account or Debt Service Reserve Account).
DEDICATED POOL
See Pooling of Debt Issues.
DEEMED FINAL
Under SEC Rule 15c2-12, prior to bidding for, offering, or selling bonds, an underwriter must
obtain and review an Official Statement (usually a Preliminary Official Statement) deemed final
as of its date by the issuer.
C-16 APPENDIX C: DEBT FINANCING TERMS AND CONCEPTS
DEFAULT/EVENT OF DEFAULT
Failure to make prompt payment on a bond or otherwise comply with other covenants in the
financing agreements.
Indentures and bond resolutions commonly provide for some short period of time—a cure
period—to correct a failure to comply with a covenant before a simple default becomes an event
of default that allows acceleration and certain other remedies to be pursued. In conduit
financings, a default may also occur if the nongovernmental borrower becomes the subject of
bankruptcy proceedings.
DEFEASANCE
The termination of the rights and interests (including the pledge of revenues but not including the
right to payment) of the bondholders under the indenture or bond resolution upon final payment
or provision for payment of all debt service on the bonds, all in the specific manner required by
the indenture or bond resolution.
In an advance refunding, the defeasance of the bonds being refunded is generally accomplished
by placing in an escrow sufficient high quality investments to provide for payment of debt
service on the bonds to redemption or maturity.
DELIVERY DATE
See Closing Date (Delivery Date).
DEMAND BOND (PUT BOND OR TENDER OPTION BOND)
A bond that the holder has the right to sell back to the issuer, a nongovernmental borrower, or
another party at specified times and for a specified price (usually par).
Variable rate bonds generally have a demand feature. The demand feature gives the holder
investment flexibility and protection against fluctuating market interest rates and other risks.
The interest rate rises or falls in step with market rates, and the holder has the option to keep the
bond or to demand the purchase of the bond in accordance with the holder's investment needs.
Demand bonds are sometimes referred to as put bonds or tender option bonds because the holder
can “put,” or has an option to tender, the bond back to the issuer.
Put bonds that are tendered are customarily remarketed. If not, they may be purchased using
monies available for that purpose, including advances under a line of credit or draws under a
letter of credit.
APPENDIX C: DEBT FINANCING TERMS AND CONCEPTS C-17
DENOMINATION
The face amount of a bond—generally its original principal amount. Usually the denominations
are $5,000 or any integral multiple of $5,000. In some short-term or variable rate financings,
denominations may be multiples of $100,000 or in multiples of $5,000 in excess of $100,000.
For compound interest bonds, denominations may be expressed in terms of either the original
principal amount (in which case they may be odd dollar amounts, such as $127.55) or
compounded maturity or conversion amount (in which case they will commonly be multiples of
$5,000).
DISCLOSURE
Providing to investors (usually in the form of an Official Statement) all material facts relating to
an issue.
DISCLOSURE COUNSEL
See Chapter 1, Overview of a Debt Financing Roles and Responsibilities of Principal
Participants – Underwriter’s Counsel and Disclosure Counsel – Disclosure Counsel.
DISCOUNT
The amount, if any, by which the principal amount or par value of a bond exceeds its sale price.
See also Underwriter's Gross Spread (Underwriter's Discount).
Original issue discount (OID) is the amount by which the principal amount or par value of a
bond exceeds the offering price to the public at the time it is originally sold, or if sold in a private
placement, the price to its first purchaser.
If the original issue discount is greater than approximately two percent or three percent, the
bonds are sometimes referred to as deep discount bonds. The original issue discount is generally
treated as tax-exempt income to the investor if held to maturity and interest on the bond is
otherwise tax-exempt to the investor. When the investor sells the bond before maturity, any
profit realized on such sale is determined (for federal income tax purposes) with respect to the
investor's adjusted basis in the security. The adjusted basis is determined by adding to the
investor's original cost the portion of the original issue discount allocable to the period that the
investor held the bond.
The total amount of original issue discount and its allocation over time are determined in
accordance with the provisions of the Internal Revenue Code and the rules and regulations of the
Internal Revenue Service. To the extent the sale price of bonds exceeds their original cost plus
allocable OID, such excess may be treated as taxable gain. Conversely, if the sale price is less
C-18 APPENDIX C: DEBT FINANCING TERMS AND CONCEPTS
than the original price plus allocable OID, the difference may be treated as a loss for federal
income tax purposes.
DISSEMINATION AGENT
An agent appointed pursuant to a continuing disclosure agreement for the purpose of filing
annual reports and event notices with NRMSIRs and state information depositories. See,
generally, Chapter 10, Continuing Disclosure and Investor Relations Programs.
DUE DILIGENCE
The inquiry made to reveal or confirm facts about the issuer, the issue, and the security for the
issue that would be material to a prudent investor in making a decision to purchase the issue.
Due diligence inquiries are made by underwriters and lawyers to determine, for example,
whether the issue follows the purpose and scope outlined by the enabling legislation, statutes,
and resolutions of the issuer and whether all material facts have been accurately disclosed in the
Official Statement. Courts have generally concluded that participants who demonstrate that they
have conducted reasonable investigations resulting in a reasonable belief in the accuracy and
sufficiency of the disclosure document have satisfied their responsibilities under the disclosure
laws relating to municipal bonds.
ECONOMIC USEFUL LIFE
The period over which an asset may reasonably be expected to yield economic benefit to its
owner.
Because economic factors can render property useless for its intended purpose long before the
property deteriorates physically, the economic useful life of an asset is often different from its
physical life. The maturity of an issue of bonds generally may not exceed 120 percent of the
weighted average useful life of financed facilities if interest on the bonds is to be tax-exempt. In
determining the economic useful life for this purpose, a safe harbor is available by reference to
periods prescribed by the Internal Revenue Service under its Asset Depreciation Range (ADR)
system.
ENTERPRISE
A defined revenue producing set of facilities that are operationally integrated and which have a
common service purpose.
An enterprise may consist of all of the facilities of a special district, such as a municipal water
district, or may consist of only a portion of the assets of a general purpose governmental entity,
such as the water system of a city.
APPENDIX C: DEBT FINANCING TERMS AND CONCEPTS C-19
With respect to certain types of revenue bonds, the specification of the extent of the enterprise is
important, because it is the revenues of the enterprise that provide the security for the bonds.
ESCROW AGENT
With respect to an advance refunding, the commercial bank or trust company retained to hold the
investments purchased with the proceeds of the refunding and, customarily, to use the amounts
received as payments on such investments to pay debt service on the refunded bonds.
EVENT NOTICE
A notice delivered to the NRMSIRs and any state information depository in connection with a
listed event. See generally, Chapter 10, Continuing Disclosure and Investor Relations
Programs.
EXEMPT FACILITIES
As defined in the Internal Revenue Code, airports, docks and wharves, mass commuting
facilities, facilities for the furnishing of water, sewage facilities, solid waste disposal facilities,
qualified residential rental projects, facilities for the local furnishing of electric energy or gas,
local district heating or cooling facilities, and qualified hazardous waste facilities.
Qualified private activity bonds may be issued for exempt facilities.
FAILED AUCTION
An auction that occurs in which, due to a lack of demand for the auction rate securities (ARS) on
the auction date, insufficient clearing bids were received. In the event of a failed auction,
existing holders maintain their positions (or some pro rata portion) in the ARS at the maximum
rate until a subsequent successful auction. Failed auctions are rare and, to the extent they do
occur, are usually associated with downgrades in the credit ratings of the issuer or the insurer.
FEASIBILITY CONSULTANT
The person or firm retained, customarily by the issuer, to express an opinion (generally printed
as an appendix to the Official Statement) on the economic feasibility of a facility, enterprise, or
lending program to be undertaken with the proceeds of an issue.
Feasibility consultants are retained for a wide variety of different types of financings, ranging
from large single projects such as a hydroelectric power plant to lending programs such as a
multideveloper single-family mortgage revenue program. The objective of a feasibility report is
to provide an assessment of one or more aspects of the economic feasibility of the purpose of a
C-20 APPENDIX C: DEBT FINANCING TERMS AND CONCEPTS
financing. The views of the feasibility consultant are taken into account by the credit rating
agencies and investors in the process of marketing the bonds.
FINANCIAL ADVISOR
See Chapter 1, Overview of a Debt Financing – Roles and Responsibilities of Principal
Participants – Financial Advisor.
FINANCING LEASE
The document by which the issuer leases to another public entity (the obligor) the project to be
acquired or constructed with the proceeds of the issue and by which the obligor agrees to make
periodic lease payments to the issuer, generally for the period of time the issue is outstanding.
An installment purchase contract or installment sale agreement is a similar instrument by which
the issuer sells, rather than leases, the project to the obligor, which agrees to purchase the project
by making periodic payments (installments). Whether lease payments or installments, such
payments are designed to be sufficient to pay debt service on the issue. The choice whether to
structure a financing utilizing the municipal lease, installment purchase contract, or loan
agreement often depends upon state law requirements such as constitutional debt limits and the
authorization to lease property.
FISCAL AGENT
A commercial bank or trust company designated by an issuer under the indenture or bond
resolution to act as a fiduciary and as the custodian of monies relating to an issue.
The fiscal agent's duties typically are limited to receiving monies from the issuer that are to be
held in funds and accounts created under the indenture or bond resolution and, when acting as
paying agent, paying out principal and interest to bondholders. See also Chapter 1, Overview
of a Debt Financing – Roles and Responsibilities of Principal Participants – Trustee/Fiscal
Agent/Paying Agent/Registrar/Authenticating Agent.
FIXED RATE
An interest rate that is set at the time a bond is issued and that does not vary during the term of
the bond.
Compare to Variable Rate.
FLOATING RATE
See Variable Rate.
APPENDIX C: DEBT FINANCING TERMS AND CONCEPTS C-21
FLOW OF FUNDS
The provisions of an indenture or bond resolution pursuant to which pledged revenues are
periodically allocated in a specified priority to accounts, if any, for operating expenses, debt
service, the bond reserve account, redemption of bonds prior to maturity, other reserves, surplus,
etc.
FORECLOSURE
A lawsuit by which the issuer of assessments or Mello-Roos bonds enforces the payment
obligation against a defaulting landowner by suing to have the property sold to repay the debt.
Issuers in these land-secured financings promise in the bond documents to prosecute foreclosure
actions against defaulting landowners.
FORECLOSURE AND WORKOUT
The incidence of defaults and other payment problems on Mello-Roos and assessment bonds has
risen markedly over the past several years, due largely to the fluctuation of the real estate market
in California. Because issuers have a duty under the bond documents to enforce the special tax
or assessment payment obligations, they have often been compelled to file foreclosure actions
against defaulting landowners. In many cases the payment problems have also led to workout
efforts by issuers, sometimes with the assistance of the original financing team, and other times
with a new team brought in for this purpose.
Some issuers have shown flexibility in forgiving interest and penalties, which can be helpful in
resolving a payment problem. Also, there is a procedure that allows the issuer to seek
permission from bondholders to sell foreclosed property for less than the amount owing on the
special tax lien, but this procedure is cumbersome and may involve a principal loss to the
bondholders. There is also recently enacted legislation in California that would permit
landowners to tender Mello-Roos bonds in lieu of payment, which means that if the bonds could
be purchased for a discount on the open market, the special tax lien can be extinguished for less
money than if it were paid in cash.
Finally, the increasing number of defaults in Mello-Roos and assessment financings over the past
several years has shown that those financings can be severely affected by a downturn in the real
estate market. To avoid future problems, more scrutiny may be appropriate at the outset. Some
of the questions that might be posed include:
• Is the financing wise from a public policy perspective?
• If a real estate developer is involved in the financing, does the developer have a good
track record?
C-22 APPENDIX C: DEBT FINANCING TERMS AND CONCEPTS
• Have the appraisals supporting the financing been prepared by competent and
experienced professionals?
• Is the real estate market likely to support the financing long-term?
GOOD FAITH DEPOSIT
A deposit made by an underwriter with the issuer of a new issue as assurance that the
underwriter will proceed with the closing of the purchase of the issue if the issuer meets all of the
conditions of the bond purchase contract.
The good faith deposit is commonly one percent of the par value of the issue, and generally is
provided in the form of a certified or cashier's check. In the case of a competitive sale, each
bidder submits a good faith check with its bid, the check is returned to the bidder if its bid is not
accepted, and the deposit of the successful bidder is retained by the issuer until the issue is
delivered and paid for at the closing. In a negotiated sale, the underwriter delivers the good faith
deposit at the time the bond purchase contract is entered into and the deposit is held by the issuer
until the closing. In the event the winning bidder or underwriter fails to take delivery of and pay
for the new issue for reasons other than those permitted under the notice of sale or the bond
purchase contract, the good faith deposit may be retained by the issuer as liquidated damages.
GOVERNMENTAL BONDS
Bonds that are issued by a public agency and not private activity bonds.
GROSS PROCEEDS
See Proceeds/Sale Proceeds/Investment Proceeds/Gross Proceeds/Net Proceeds.
GROSS REVENUES
See Revenues/Gross Revenues/Net Revenues.
GUARANTEED INVESTMENT CONTRACT.
See Investment Agreement.
HEDGE BONDS
Bonds issued substantially in advance of when monies will be needed for the purpose being
financed, in order to hedge against subsequent interest rate increases.
The Internal Revenue Code contains specific limitations on tax-exempt hedge bonds (as defined
therein).
APPENDIX C: DEBT FINANCING TERMS AND CONCEPTS C-23
INDENTURE/BOND RESOLUTION (GENERAL, SUPPLEMENTAL, AND SERIES)
An agreement executed by an issuer and a trustee (or fiscal agent) that pledges certain revenues
and other property as security for the repayment of the issue, sets forth the terms of the bonds,
and contains the responsibilities and duties of the trustee and the rights of the bondholders.
The responsibilities and duties of the trustee may include, among others, the following:
• Regulating the disbursement of proceeds of the issue for the intended purpose
• Funding transfers to assure that bondholders receive timely and complete payment
• Protecting the assets of the trust if a default occurs, and
• Exercising a specified standard of care in the administration of those trusts
The rights of bondholders are set forth in indenture provisions relating to the timing of interest
and principal payments, interest rate setting mechanisms (in the case of variable rate bonds),
redemption provisions, events of default, remedies, and the mailing of notices of various events.
The indenture typically also contains the text to be printed on the bond.
A bond resolution differs from an indenture in that the issuer unilaterally adopts the resolution,
which is then accepted as an agreement by the trustee or fiscal agent in a separate document.
The provisions of a resolution used in this manner do not differ substantially from those of an
indenture.
The term bond resolution is often also used to mean a resolution that authorizes the issuance of
bonds, and may or may not also authorize the execution of an indenture.
General and series indentures are used when several issues of parity bonds are to be issued. The
general indenture customarily specifies the matters that will be common to all series of bonds,
and the series indenture is a supplemental indenture that specifies the terms of the particular
series and any other features that are unique to that series.
A supplemental indenture is an indenture that amends or supplements a prior indenture, whether
that prior indenture stands by itself, is a general indenture, or a series indenture. See also
Chapter 1, Overview of a Debt Financing – Basic Legal Documents.
INDUCEMENT RESOLUTION
A very preliminary resolution of the governing body of an issuer confirming its then current
intent to issue qualified private activity bonds for a specified project.
C-24 APPENDIX C: DEBT FINANCING TERMS AND CONCEPTS
An inducement resolution is not legally binding on the issuer, but serves to mark the time under
federal tax rules after which costs expended on the project qualify for financing with tax-exempt
bonds.
INFORMATION REPORTING REQUIREMENT
The requirement to report to the Internal Revenue Service certain information about a new issue
if interest on the issue is to be tax-exempt. These reports must be filed on IRS Form 8038,
8038G, or 8038GC and must be submitted no later than the fifteenth day of the second month
following the close of the calendar quarter in which the bonds are issued.
INSTALLMENT PURCHASE CONTRACT
See Financing Lease.
INSTALLMENT SALE AGREEMENT
See Financing Lease.
INTERCEPT PROGRAM
An intercept program is a program by which the bond documents permit the bond trustee to
intercept revenues from a third party that would otherwise flow to the issuer in order to pay debt
service on the bonds. The most common such program in California relates to motor vehicle
license fee revenues, which are normally collected by the state and distributed to cities and
counties pursuant to a formula. Under Government Code Section 37351.5 (for cities) and
Section 25350.55 (for counties), cities and counties can elect to have certain lease obligations
(such as COPs or lease revenue bonds) secured by a pledge of motor vehicle license fee
revenues. If the issuer then fails to make a lease payment when due, the trustee can notify the
State Controller and obtain funds directly from the issuer’s account within the State Motor
Vehicle License Fee Fund to make the lease payment.
INTEREST/INTEREST RATE
A charge paid to the bondholder by the issuer for the use or borrowing of money. The interest
rate is the interest charge expressed as a percentage of principal (which generally corresponds
roughly to the amount borrowed) accruing over a specified period (generally a year) so long as
the debt remains unpaid.
Interest may be paid or may compound at intervals different from the period used to express the
interest rate. For example, interest on current interest fixed rate bonds generally is expressed as
an annual rate, but is paid semiannually, with each semiannual payment being one-half of the
amount that would accrue over an entire year. Interest on compound interest fixed rate bonds
APPENDIX C: DEBT FINANCING TERMS AND CONCEPTS C-25
generally is compounded semiannually and paid at maturity. Interest on variable rate bonds
accrues at a rate which changes from time to time (perhaps as often as daily), but each such rate
is nevertheless generally expressed as a percentage per year.
The amount of interest that has accrued over a period shorter than the payment or compounding
interval may be determined by one of several different rules. For example, if interest accrues “on
the basis of a 360-day year of 12 30-day months,” the amount of interest that has accrued since
the last payment or compounding date is calculated assuming that 1/12th of one year's interest
accrues for each complete calendar month and 1/360th of one year's interest accrues for each
additional day. On the other hand, if interest is calculated on the basis of a year of 365 days and
the actual number of days elapsed, the amount of interest accrued since the last payment or
compounding date is calculated assuming that 1/365th of one year's interest accrues each day.
Generally, interest on fixed rate bonds is calculated on the basis of a 360-day year and interest on
variable rate bonds is calculated on the basis of a 365-day year.
INVESTMENT AGREEMENT
An agreement, typically purchased by the trustee for an issue from a financial institution, in
which the financial institution agrees to guarantee a certain investment return on monies—often
proceeds of the issue—invested under the agreement.
The return provided by the investment agreement may be fixed at a stated interest rate for each
fund or account held by the trustee, or may float at a level related to the yield on the bonds (if the
bonds bear interest at a variable rate) or some other index. Monies that may be invested include
a fund for the construction or acquisition of the project or the program loans to be financed, a
reserve account, and a fund in which monies to pay debt service on the issue are accumulated.
An investment agreement is usually provided by a highly rated financial institution, in most
instances a commercial bank or insurance company, because the credit rating on the bonds may
be based in part on the credit rating (or the rating of the claims-paying ability) of the institution
providing the investment agreement.
Investment agreements are sometimes used as a convenient means of managing the investment
of monies that are subject to arbitrage yield restriction or rebate.
INVESTMENT OF PROCEEDS
The investment of proceeds and other monies relating to an issue is typically governed by state
law and by the indenture or bond resolution.
Either document may prescribe both the types of investments that may be purchased (e.g. U.S.
Treasury obligations, bank certificates of deposit, or corporate obligations with a specified
rating) and the maximum maturity of investments of certain funds (e.g. short-term investments
for monies to be used to make the next debt service payment or longer term investments for
C-26 APPENDIX C: DEBT FINANCING TERMS AND CONCEPTS
reserves). The arbitrage rules under federal tax law may regulate the yield at which proceeds
may be invested and may require rebate of certain investment earnings.
INVESTMENT PROCEEDS
See Proceeds.
INVESTORS/INSTITUTIONAL INVESTORS/RETAIL INVESTORS
Investors are persons or firms who purchase bonds. They are in effect loaning their money (the
amount of their investment) to the issuer of the bonds in exchange for the issuer’s obligation to
repay them with interest. Investors are often thought of in two broad classes: institutional and
retail.
An institutional investor is a mutual fund, insurance company, bank, or other financial institution
that buys bonds, usually in very large blocks (sometimes in the tens of millions of dollars).
Institutional investors have professional staffs whose purpose is to analyze credit risk, monitor
investments, and manage the investor’s assets.
A retail investor is an individual who purchases bonds, usually in small blocks—as small as
$5,000. Retail investors vary from the quite unsophisticated investor with a small amount of
savings (often colloquially referred to as the “widows and orphans”) to so called “high net
worth” individuals who may have significant holdings and experience in the bond market.
See, generally, Chapter 1, Overview of a Debt Financing – Roles and Responsibilities of
Principal Participants – Investors.
ISSUE
One or more bonds initially delivered by an issuer in a substantially simultaneous transaction and
which are generally designated in a manner that distinguishes them from bonds of other issues.
Bonds of a single issue may vary in maturity, interest rate, redemption, and other provisions.
Under a revolving credit agreement or line of credit, obligations recorded or delivered
representing the obligation to repay draws under the credit facility are commonly aggregated into
a single issue.
For federal income tax purposes, the meaning of the term issue may depend upon the context in
which it is used and may differ from definitions used under state law or in bond documents. For
example, bonds of different issuers sold at substantially the same time, payable from
substantially the same source of funds, and sold pursuant to a common financing plan may be a
single issue for certain federal tax purposes.
APPENDIX C: DEBT FINANCING TERMS AND CONCEPTS C-27
ISSUER
See Chapter 1, Overview of a Debt Financing – Roles and Responsibilities of Principal
Participants – Issuer.
LEGAL INVESTMENT MEMORANDUM OR SURVEY
An informational document setting forth the probable eligibility of the bonds for investment by
certain potential investors in the specific jurisdictions covered by the survey (usually all 50
states, the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico).
A legal investment memorandum is used by underwriters in the marketing of bonds, especially to
institutional investors. The investors included in the memorandum are commonly savings banks,
trust funds, and insurance companies. The legal investment memorandum is usually prepared by
counsel to the underwriters, who reviews the current investment laws of the jurisdictions and
summarizes the results of such review in the memorandum. The legal investment survey is
usually circulated to appropriate dealers and investors with the Preliminary Official Statement
and the preliminary Blue Sky Survey.
LENDER LOAN AGREEMENT
A loan agreement under which the nongovernmental borrower is a lending institution that agrees
to relend the proceeds for purposes and under terms designed to achieve the public purpose for
the issue.
LESSEE/LESSOR
See the sections in Chapter 6, Types of Financing Obligations on Public Lease Revenue
Bonds and Financing Leases and Certificates of Participation.
LETTER OF CREDIT
An arrangement with a bank that provides additional security that money will be available to pay
debt service on an issue.
Customarily, a letter of credit is issued by a commercial bank directly to the trustee and is
irrevocable until a specified date. The letter of credit entitles the trustee, if certain conditions are
met, to draw upon the letter of credit by submitting to the bank a written request for payment (a
draft) and other carefully specified documents and certificates. If the documents submitted for
the draw meet the requirements specified in the letter of credit, the bank must pay as provided in
the letter of credit.
Letters of credit are also used as liquidity facilities in connection with obligations such as
commercial paper or demand bonds. The trustee may draw upon the letter of credit if
C-28 APPENDIX C: DEBT FINANCING TERMS AND CONCEPTS
commercial paper has matured and not been rolled over by issuing new commercial paper, or if
demand bond owners put them to the issuer, and the remarketing agent is unable to find new
purchasers. See also Line of Credit.
A draw on a letter of credit results in an obligation by the account party on the letter of credit to
reimburse the bank for the amount of the draw, plus interest if reimbursement is not immediate.
The account party may be either the issuer or, in the case of a conduit financing, the
nongovernmental borrower.
A letter of credit may be either a “direct pay letter of credit” or a “standby letter of credit.” A
direct pay letter of credit entitles the trustee to draw on the letter of credit for all debt service
payments. Monies that would otherwise be available to pay debt service are then used to
reimburse the bank. Because payments of principal and interest are made from monies of the
bank rather than of the issuer, receipts by the owners of bonds are not subject to being reclaimed
from the owners of bonds under the federal Bankruptcy Code.
In the case of a standby letter of credit, the trustee only draws on the letter of credit in the event
monies available to pay debt service are insufficient. In this type of financing, to assure that
payments to owners of bonds are not subject to being reclaimed in a bankruptcy, monies for debt
service are typically required to be on deposit several months in advance of the date on which
payments are made to the owners of bonds. These monies are then “seasoned” for the period
required to extinguish any potential claim to them in a bankruptcy.
See also Chapter 1, Overview of a Debt Financing – Roles and Responsibilities of Principal
Participants – Credit Enhancement Provider.
LINE OF CREDIT
A line of credit is a contract between the issuer and a bank that provides a source of borrowed
monies to the issuer in the event that monies available to pay debt service (e.g. on commercial
paper) or to purchase a demand bond are insufficient for that purpose.
If a draw on a line of credit is necessary, the issuer notifies the bank and executes a note for the
amount of the loan.
The bank extending the line of credit may refuse to make the loan if the issuer is involved in a
bankruptcy proceeding and for certain other events, whereas a letter of credit is usually designed
to be available even under these circumstances.
See also Chapter 1, Overview of a Debt Financing – Roles and Responsibilities of Principal
Participants – Credit Enhancement Provider.
APPENDIX C: DEBT FINANCING TERMS AND CONCEPTS C-29
LIQUIDITY
The ease with which an investment may be converted to cash, either by selling it in the
secondary market or by demanding its repurchase pursuant to a put or other prearranged
agreement with the issuer or another party.
LIQUIDITY FACILITY
See Letter of Credit and Line of Credit.
LISTED EVENT
An event which, if material, is required to be reported to the NRMSIRs and any state information
depository pursuant to an undertaking to provide continuing disclosure pursuant to SEC Rule
15c2-12. See generally Chapter 10, Continuing Disclosure and Investor Relations
Programs.
LOAN AGREEMENT
An agreement under which the proceeds of a conduit financing are loaned to the
nongovernmental borrower and the borrower agrees to pay to the issuer or the trustee the
amounts necessary to pay debt service on the issue.
A loan agreement usually includes a set of covenants, financial tests, and restrictive provisions
governing the borrower and the project financed. See Chapter 1, Overview of a Debt
Financing – Basic Legal Documents.
LOWER FLOATER
See Variable Rate.
MANAGEMENT FEE
See Underwriter's Gross Spread (Underwriter’s Discount) and Chapter 1, Overview of a
Debt Financing – Roles and Responsibilities of Principal Participants –
Underwriter/Placement Agent/Purchaser.
MANAGING UNDERWRITER
See Chapter 1, Overview of a Debt Financing – Roles and Responsibilities of Principal
Participants – Underwriter/Placement Agent/Purchaser.
C-30 APPENDIX C: DEBT FINANCING TERMS AND CONCEPTS
MARKET AGENT
In an auction rate securities (ARS) transaction, an investment bank retained for the purpose of
adjusting the applicable percentage used in determining the maximum auction rate, the
percentage used in determining the all-hold rate, and the percentage used in determining the
interest rate in the event of a payment default. Generally, the market agent and the broker/dealer
will be the same party for each series of ARS issued. A market agent may or may not be
required on a transaction depending on the document structure. If an ARS program does not
require a market agent, the broker/dealer assumes these responsibilities. There is no fee for this
service.
MATERIAL/MATERIAL FACTS
Facts that a reasonably prudent investor would want to know in making an investment decision.
See also Disclosure, Official Statement and Chapter 10, Continuing Disclosure and Investor
Relations Programs.
MATURE
With respect to principal, to become due and payable pursuant to a bond's original terms (not by
acceleration). See also Maturity.
MATURITY
With respect to a single bond, the date upon which the principal of the bond is stated to be due.
With respect to an issue, all of the bonds of an issue that are due on a single date.
For example, the bonds listed in the first line of the example under the definition of Serial Bonds
in this appendix have a maturity in the year 1988, whereas the entire issue has serial maturities in
the years 1988 through 2000 and a term bond maturity in the year 2011. See also Term.
MAXIMUM AUCTION RATE
On any auction date of an auction rate security, the interest rate per annum specified in the bond
indenture or trust agreement, or the maximum rate, if any, established under the laws of the state
for obligations of public agencies, if less than the rate specified in the indenture or trust
agreement.
MELLO-ROOS BONDS
Created under the Mello-Roos Community Facilities District Act of 1982. See Chapter 6,
Types of Financing Obligations – Mello-Roos Bonds.
APPENDIX C: DEBT FINANCING TERMS AND CONCEPTS C-31
MULTI-MODAL BONDS
Bonds that can be converted to different interest rate modes at the option of the issuer—or in the
case of conduit bonds, the borrower. Typically, multi-modal bond documents permit bonds to be
remarketed in daily, weekly, or monthly interest rate modes as variable rate tender option bonds
and in term or fixed rate modes as well. Sometimes, “commercial paper mode” or “flexible rate
mode” is included to allow the bonds to be broken up into pieces that have different interest rate
periods.
MUNICIPAL SECURITIES RULEMAKING BOARD (MSRB)
An independent, self-regulatory organization established by Congress in 1975 having general
rulemaking authority over municipal securities market participants (generally, brokers and
dealers).
The MSRB is required by federal law to propose and adopt rules in the areas of professional
qualification standards, rules of fair practice, record keeping, the scope and frequency of
compliance examinations, the form and content of municipal bond quotations, and sales to
related portfolios during the underwriting period.
The 15 MSRB members include 5 from each of 3 categories—securities firms’ representatives,
bank dealer representatives, and public members. All market participants subject to MSRB
jurisdiction are required to register with the SEC. Its jurisdiction does not extend to issuers of
municipal securities. In recognition of the existing regulatory structure in place for banks and
securities firms, the MSRB does not have inspection or enforcement authority.
NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF SECURITY DEALERS (NASD)
A self-regulatory organization established as a “registered securities association” pursuant to the
Securities Exchange Act of 1934 for the purpose of preventing fraudulent and manipulative acts
and practices, promoting just and equitable principles of trade among over-the-counter brokers
and dealers, and promoting rules of fair practice and self-discipline in the securities industry.
All securities firms (other than those dealing solely in government and federal agency securities)
must be NASD members. The SEC holds certain residual powers over the activities of NASD.
The NASD has very limited rulemaking authority with respect to municipal securities and is
primarily responsible for enforcing members' compliance with Municipal Securities Rulemaking
Board rules.
NEGOTIATED SALE
A sale of bonds, the terms and price of which are negotiated by the issuer through an exclusive
agreement with a previously selected underwriter and/or underwriting syndicate.
C-32 APPENDIX C: DEBT FINANCING TERMS AND CONCEPTS
Unlike a competitive sale, the underwriter is customarily active in all aspects of structuring the
negotiated deal. Selection of the underwriter can be based on many different considerations
including, but not limited to, expertise with a particular type of issue, market expertise,
reputation, guaranties of maintaining a maximum gross spread, as well as prior relationships with
the issuer.
In addition to negotiating the terms and covenants of the issue, the issuer and the underwriter
also negotiate pricing of the issue. One advantage of a negotiated sale is that the issue can be
brought to market at the most advantageous time giving special consideration to a volatile
interest rate environment for the particular issue. Negotiated sales are often used for complex
financings that may require targeting to specialized investors due to the financing structure or the
nature of the security for the bonds.
The underwriter's gross spread is generally larger on a negotiated sale than on a competitive sale,
because it includes compensation for additional services, including analytical services, due
diligence, structuring, and making markets in these securities after the issue has been completed
(secondary market transactions).
NET DIRECT DEBT
With respect to any given issuer the amount of all outstanding debt of such issuer (direct debt),
less the sum of any amounts accumulated in sinking funds for such debt and the amount of such
debt that is self-supporting.
NET INTEREST COST (NIC)
A measure of the interest cost of an issue derived by adding together all interest payments for the
term of the issue and dividing that sum by the sum for all bonds of the amount of each bond
multiplied by the number of years it is outstanding.
If the bonds are to be issued at a discount, the amount of the discount is added to the interest total
as if it had been paid by the issuer. If the bonds are to be issued at a premium, that amount is
subtracted from the interest total. The formula is as follows:
Total Interest Payments + Discount (or - Premium)
NIC =
Bond Year Dollars
The denominator, bond year dollars, measures the amount of bonds outstanding over the time
they are outstanding. Bond years equal the number of bonds outstanding (in $1,000
denominations) multiplied by the number of years they are outstanding. One bond year is one
APPENDIX C: DEBT FINANCING TERMS AND CONCEPTS C-33
$1,000 bond outstanding for one year. Bond year dollars are the number of bond years
multiplied by $1,000 for each bond.
NIC is distinguished from the True Interest Cost (TIC) measure in that the NIC does not take
into account the time value of money.
Consider the following example of the NIC calculation. The NIC is computed for a $3 million
offering with 3 serial bond maturities and a fixed interest rate of 5 percent for each maturity.
Example 1
Interest
Years to Interest Payments Bond Year
Maturity Par Value Rate Per Maturity Dollars
1 $1,000,000 5% $ 50,000 $1,000,000
2 1,000,000 5% 100,000 2,000,000
3 1,000,000 5% 150,000 3,000,000
Total $3,000,000 $300,000 $6,000,000
The total interest payments come to $300,000, paid out as follows:
• $50,000 is paid out for the first maturity, which is due in a year
• $50,000 per year is paid out for two years on the second maturity, and
• $50,000 per year for three years on the third maturity
The bonds were issued at par so there is no addition or deduction from the total interest payments
for a discount or premium. Bond year dollars equal $6,000,000. The NIC equals 5 percent.
Total Interest Payments $300,000
NIC = = = .05 or 5.0%
Bond Year Dollars $6,000,000
Because the interest rate was the same for all three issues and there was no discount, the NIC
was equal to the interest rate. A more complicated example will help make the calculation
clearer. An issuer chooses to sell $10 million of bonds in five separate maturities. The serial
maturities and the interest rates follow. There are no discounts or premiums.
C-34 APPENDIX C: DEBT FINANCING TERMS AND CONCEPTS
Example 2
Years to
Maturity Par Value Interest Rate
1 $1,000,000 5.0%
2 2,000,000 5.1%
3 2,000,000 5.2%
4 2,000,000 5.25%
5 3,000,000 5.3%
The total interest payments and bond year dollars follow, in order of maturity.
Interest Payments
Bond Year Dollars
per Maturity
$ 50,000 $ 1,000,000
204,000 4,000,000
312,000 6,000,000
420,000 8,000,000
795,000 15,000,000
Total $1,781,000 $ 34,000,000
Total Interest Payments $1,781,000
NIC = = = .05238 or 5.238%
Bond Year Dollars $34,000,000
Had the issue been sold at a discount, the NIC would be higher. For example, if the issue had
sold at an average price of 97 percent, the issuer would have had $300,000 less in proceeds. To
compute the NIC, the $300,000 would be added to total interest payments. The NIC rises to 6.12
percent.
$1,781,000 + $300,000 $2,081,000
NIC = = = .06121 or 6.121%
$34,000,000 $34,000,000
Note that in these examples, the NIC was a function only of the total amount of interest and did
not take into account the consideration of when the interest payments would be made. In other
words, all $1,781,000 of interest could have been paid in the first year and the NIC would have
still equaled 5.238 percent.
The NIC is sometimes used to compare bids at a competitive sale. See also True Interest Cost
(TIC).
APPENDIX C: DEBT FINANCING TERMS AND CONCEPTS C-35
NET OVERALL DEBT
With respect to any given issuer, the amount of such issuer's net direct debt plus the issuer's
share of the overlapping net direct debt of other public entities.
NET REVENUES
See Revenues/Gross Revenues/Net Revenues.
NO-LITIGATION CERTIFICATE
A certificate signed on behalf of the issuer and dated as of and delivered at the closing to the
effect that no litigation is pending that would adversely affect the financing.
If litigation is pending, it is customarily described in the no-litigation certificate and, presuming
that the bonds are to be issued in spite of such litigation, the issuer and the purchasers of the
bonds must be able to conclude that the litigation does not present a material risk to the investors.
One method of reaching that conclusion is to obtain, if available, an opinion of counsel to the
effect that there is “no merit” to the adverse claims presented in the litigation.
NONGOVERNMENTAL BORROWER
See Chapter 1, Overview of a Debt Financing – Roles and Responsibilities of Principal
Participants – Nongovernmental Borrower.
NOTICE OF SALE
The document that issuers use to solicit bids from prospective underwriters for a competitive sale
of bonds.
The notice will commonly be published in a financial industry journal, usually The Bond Buyer
or The Wall Street Journal (and, if required by law, a local newspaper of general circulation) and
will list the details concerning an issue. This may include:
• The date, time and place of the sale
• The amount of the issue, maturity schedule, and redemption provisions
• Legal authority for the sale
• The manner in which the bid is to be delivered
• The type of security (general obligation, pledge of revenues, etc.)
• Limitations on interest rates and interest payment dates
C-36 APPENDIX C: DEBT FINANCING TERMS AND CONCEPTS
• Denominations and registration provisions (registered, book entry, etc.)
• Names of bond counsel and any other attorneys delivering opinions, credit
enhancement facilities, and other details
The notice of sale, the winning bid and the issuer's acceptance of the winning bid together
constitute an agreement for the purchase and sale of the issue in a competitive sale. See also
Chapter 1, Overview of a Debt Financing – Basic Legal Documents.
NRMSIR
Nationally Recognized Municipal Securities Information Repository—NRMSIRs are the
repositories for all annual reports and event notices filed under SEC Rule 15c2-12. NRMSIRs
are required to be approved by the MSRB. A list of all the currently approved NRMSIRs is
contained in Appendix B – Resources and Contacts. See Chapter 10, Continuing Disclosure
and Investor Relations Programs. See also State Information Depository (SID).
OBLIGATED PERSON
Any person, including an issuer of municipal securities, who is either generally or through an
enterprise, fund, or account of such person committed by contract or other arrangement to
support payment of all, or part, of the obligations on the municipal securities (other than
providers of credit enhancement). See generally Chapter 10, Continuing Disclosure and
Investor Relations Programs.
OFFICIAL STATEMENT/PRELIMINARY OFFICIAL STATEMENT
A document containing information about the bonds being offered, the issuer, and the sources of
repayment of the bonds.
Federal securities laws generally require that if an Official Statement is used to market an issue,
it must fully disclose all facts that would be of interest (i.e. material) to a potential buyer of
bonds of the issue. For example, for a general obligation issue, the most important information
may concern the financial health of the issuer, its tax base, and the economic health of the
jurisdiction. For a water revenue issue, the most important information may be the financial
health and physical condition of the water system enterprise, water supply, and the economic
health of the service area. For a conduit financing, the most important information may concern
the financial health of the nongovernmental borrower. The materiality of such information may
also depend upon whether or not credit enhancement is utilized. See also Deemed Final.
Under MSRB rules, a final Official Statement—which is printed only after the final terms of the
bonds are available—must (if available) be delivered by the broker or dealer to purchasers of
bonds no later than the settlement date of the transaction. An Official Statement may also be
called an Offering Circular, Offering Memorandum, or bond prospectus. See also Chapter 1,
APPENDIX C: DEBT FINANCING TERMS AND CONCEPTS C-37
Overview of a Debt Financing – Basic Legal Documents and Chapter 10, Continuing
Disclosure and Investor Relations Programs.
A Preliminary Official Statement is the version of an Official Statement or Offering Circular
used by the issuer or underwriters to inform the marketplace of the terms of the bonds being
issued prior to receipt of bids at a competitive sale or prior to the determination of interest rates
and purchase price in a negotiated sale.
The Preliminary Official Statement is often referred to as the “red herring” because of the
sentence, printed in red on the cover page, to the effect that the information contained in the
Official Statement is subject to change and that there are conditions to the taking of orders by
underwriters. Generally, however, few substantial changes are made between the Preliminary
and final versions of the Official Statement.
ORGANIC ACT
The statute under which a particular governmental entity is organized.
Generally, this term is used to describe an act that specifies the manner of organization and the
powers of a single agency, authority, or district named in the act, rather than the type of statute
under which, for example, any city or county could cause to be created an agency of the type
described in the statute. Compare, for example, the statute under which the California Housing
Finance Agency is organized (Health and Safety Code Sections 50900 et seq.) with the statute
under which a city or county may create a housing authority (Health and Safety Code Sections
34200 et seq.).
ORIGINAL ISSUANCE DATE
See Date of Issuance/Original Issuance Date.
ORIGINAL ISSUE DISCOUNT
See Discount.
OUTSTANDING
In general, as used with respect to the principal of an issue, the amount remaining unpaid.
However, the terms of indentures and bond resolutions often provide that bonds, which are not
yet paid but are the subject of a defeasance or an advance refunding, are treated as no longer
being outstanding.
C-38 APPENDIX C: DEBT FINANCING TERMS AND CONCEPTS
OVERLAPPING DEBT
With respect to any given issuer, debt of other public entities the jurisdictions of which overlap
the jurisdiction of such issuer.
The issuer may partially overlap another public entity (e.g. a special district may contain parts of
several counties), may be wholly within another public entity (e.g. a city is entirely within a
county), or may wholly encompass another public entity (e.g. a county normally contains a
number of cities).
The term may be used with respect to both general obligation debt payable from ad valorem
taxes (in which case it is generally apportioned on the basis of relative assessed value), or may be
used with respect to special assessment, special tax, or other revenue based debt, in which case
other methods of apportionment may be used, such as relative amounts of benefit or service
delivered.
PAR/PAR VALUE
Par or par value refers to the principal amount of a bond.
A bond may be purchased at par—meaning the price of the bond is equal to its principal amount,
below par—meaning the price is below its principal amount, or above par—meaning the price is
above its principal amount. See also Discount and Premium.
PARITY
Having equal security with other obligations.
For example, two issues of revenue bonds are said to be on parity with each other if the revenues,
projects, program loans, and other assets securing the first issue also secure the second issue, and
vice versa.
Issues may be on parity with each other with respect to one level of security but not with another
level of security. For example, one issue may be the subject of bond insurance, while another is
not, in which case they would be on parity with respect to the basic revenues, but not with
respect to the insurance.
PAYING AGENT
The institution—usually a commercial bank or trust company—appointed in the indenture or
bond resolution to act as the agent of the issuer to pay principal and interest from monies
provided by or on behalf of the issuer. See also Chapter 1, Overview of a Debt Financing –
Roles and Responsibilities of Principal Participants – Trustee/Fiscal Agent/Paying
Agent/Registrar/Authenticating Agent.
APPENDIX C: DEBT FINANCING TERMS AND CONCEPTS C-39
PLACEMENT AGENT
See Chapter 1, Overview of a Debt Financing – Roles and Responsibilities of Principal
Participants – Underwriter/Placement Agent/Purchaser.
PLEDGE
To grant a security interest in or lien on an asset to provide security for the repayment of bonds
or the performance of some other obligation.
A pledge may cover an existing asset (such as a reserve account) or a stream of revenues to be
received in the future (such as the income of a defined enterprise).
POINT/BASIS POINT
Point is a shorthand reference to 1 percent.
Because municipal dollar prices are quoted relative to $1,000, a point is worth $10 regardless of
the actual denomination of a bond. Thus, a bond discounted 2.5 points, or $25, is quoted at 97.5
percent of its value, or $975 per $1,000.
Basis point is a shorthand reference to one one-hundredth of one percent (.01 percent). The term
is generally used to describe interest rates rather than prices. For example, if an interest rate
increases from 8.25 percent to 8.5 percent, the difference is referred to as a 25 basis point
increase.
POOLING OF DEBT ISSUES
This term encompasses two different concepts, pooled financings (including both blind pools and
dedicated pools), and composite issues.
The users of the proceeds of pooled financings may be public or private entities. Generally, the
issuer (or the trustee on behalf of the issuer) holds the proceeds of the issue until they are loaned
to users. The issue is typically secured by the proceeds until expended, a reserve fund, and the
loan agreements with the users. Because repayment of the bonds depends on the repayment of
each loan, the creditworthiness (and, therefore, the rating of the issue) is based on the credit of
the weakest user or borrower. Generally, the default of one borrower has no effect on the
obligations of any other borrower—that is, no borrower is required to make up any payment not
made by another borrower. To strengthen the credit of the issue that would otherwise be
determined by the weakest credit, pooled financings commonly require either that each loan be
insured or guaranteed or that the issue be secured by bond insurance or a letter of credit. As a
result, the rating of the issue is based on the insurance company or bank rather than on the
individual borrowers.
C-40 APPENDIX C: DEBT FINANCING TERMS AND CONCEPTS
Local agencies may pool issues under the Marks-Roos Local Bond Pooling Act of 1985
(Government Code Sections 6584 et seq.).
Blind Pool Issue
An issue the proceeds of which are used to make or finance loans to, or projects for, entities that
are not identified at the time the bonds are issued.
If some but not all of the users are identified, the pool is partially blind.
Dedicated Pool
An issue the proceeds of which are to be used to finance loans to, or projects for, entities that are
identified and committed to the financing at the time the bonds are issued.
See Chapter 6, Types of Financing Obligations – Marks-Roos Bonds for a further discussion
of pooled financings.
PRELIMINARY OFFICIAL STATEMENT
See Official Statement/Preliminary Official Statement.
PREMIUM
The amount by which the price of a bond exceeds its principal amount or par value.
A redemption premium is the premium an issuer is required (by the terms of a bond) to pay to
redeem (call) the bond prior to its stated maturity.
See also Discount.
PRICING/REPRICING
The determination (or redetermination) by the underwriters in a negotiated sale of the interest
rates and reoffering prices at which an issue will be offered to investors.
Generally, the underwriters will have mailed a Preliminary Official Statement to potential
investors and to other underwriters approximately one to two weeks prior to the pricing date. On
the pricing date the underwriters will price the issue at the lowest marketable interest cost to the
issuer. The price must be agreeable to the issuer. The underwriters then offer the bonds to
investors on the agreed terms and if an appropriate number of orders are received, the issuer and
the underwriters enter into a bond purchase contract on those terms. If not enough or too many
orders are received on the original terms, the issue may be repriced to be more attractive to
investors or to give a better rate to the issuer, as the case may be.
APPENDIX C: DEBT FINANCING TERMS AND CONCEPTS C-41
PRINCIPAL
With respect to a loan, the amount loaned and to be repaid, i.e. the amount for the use of which
interest is charged. Similarly, with respect to a bond, principal is the amount on which interest
accrues and which is to be paid to the bondholder on the maturity date (not including simple
interest or compounded interest).
The principal of a bond is sometimes referred to as its face amount since the amount to be paid at
maturity is printed on the front (the face) of the bond. See also Original Issue Discount and
Par/Par Value.
PRIVATE ACTIVITY BONDS
In general, bonds of which 10 percent or more of the proceeds are used in the trade or business of
nongovernmental persons and 10 percent or more of the debt service is secured by or derived
from property used in the trade or business of nongovernmental persons, or 5 percent or more of
the proceeds are loaned to nongovernmental persons.
For this purpose, nongovernmental persons are treated as users of facilities that they lease and of
facilities the output of which they agree to purchase. Nongovernmental persons may be treated
as users of facilities by reason of long-term management contracts. The U.S. government is
treated as a nongovernmental person.
Interest on private activity bonds is tax-exempt only if they are qualified private activity bonds.
With the exception of qualified 501(c)(3) bonds and certain bonds for government owned
seaports or airports, qualified private activity bonds must be exempt from that requirement under
an exception for refunding bonds. See Chapter 3, General Federal Tax Requirements.
PRIVATE PLACEMENT
The offer and sale of an issue by the issuer directly to one or more investors, rather than through
an underwriter.
Often, the terms of the issue are negotiated directly between the issuer and the investor.
Sometimes, an investment banker will act as placement agent, bringing the parties together and
acting as an intermediary in the negotiations. Instead of an Official Statement, an Offering
Circular, Offering Memorandum, or Private Placement Memorandum may be prepared.
PRIVATE PLACEMENT MEMORANDUM
A memorandum that takes the place of an Official Statement in a private placement and contains
a description of the bonds, the financing structure, and the issuer.
C-42 APPENDIX C: DEBT FINANCING TERMS AND CONCEPTS
It is normally prepared in very small quantities for very limited distribution. It is not normally as
extensive as with public offerings because the investor generally does its own investigation of
the credit risk of the issue.
PROCEEDS/SALE PROCEEDS/INVESTMENT PROCEEDS/GROSS PROCEEDS/NET PROCEEDS
Proceeds are comprised of sale proceeds and investment proceeds. Sale proceeds are the amount
paid by the ultimate purchasers (not including an underwriter) of a new issue, excluding any
accrued interest.
The term gross proceeds refers to all of the monies relating to an issue, which are subject to
arbitrage limitations and rebate under the Tax Code. Gross proceeds include sale proceeds,
investment proceeds, and any other monies pledged to pay debt service and expected to be used
to pay debt service, including monies in a sinking fund and monies in a reserve account.
The term net proceeds refers to all proceeds less any investment proceeds earned after
completion of the financed project.
See Chapter 3, General Federal Tax Requirements.
PROJECT FINANCING
An issue for the purpose of financing all or a portion of the costs of acquiring, constructing,
and/or renovating a specified project for a public or private entity.
Generally, the term is used in situations in which the issue is to be repaid with revenues relating
to the project financed, although other revenues and guarantees may also secure the issue. See
also Conduit Financing.
PUBLIC OFFERING
The sale of bonds (generally through an underwriter) to the general public (or a limited section of
the general public).
The offer is usually disclosed by an Official Statement in which the terms of the financing and its
structure are set forth, allowing the investor to make an informed decision about the merits of the
proposed securities. The issuer may market a proposed public offering either via competitive
sale or negotiated sale.
In addition to public offerings, bonds are also sold in limited public offerings and private
placements.
APPENDIX C: DEBT FINANCING TERMS AND CONCEPTS C-43
PUBLIC SALE
See Competitive Sale.
PUT BOND
See Demand Bond (Put Bond or Tender Option Bond).
QUALIFIED PRIVATE ACTIVITY BONDS
See Chapter 3, General Federal Tax Requirements.
QUALIFIED 501(C)(3) BONDS
Private activity bonds issued for certain nonprofit organizations (including hospitals and
universities) described in Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code. See Chapter 3,
General Federal Tax Requirements.
See also the sections in Chapter 6, Types of Financing Obligations on Conduit Revenue
Bonds: General, Conduit Revenue Bonds: Hospital and Health Care Facilities; Certificates
of Participation, and Conduit Revenue Bonds: Educational Facility Bonds.
RATING
See Chapter 1, Overview of a Debt Financing – Roles and Responsibilities of Principal
Participants – Credit Rating Agencies.
REBATE REQUIREMENT
To pay to the U.S. government (or in the case of certain qualified single-family mortgage
revenue bonds, to mortgagors) amounts earned from the investment of gross proceeds at a yield
in excess of the yield on the issue.
Generally, the amount of this rebate requirement should be computed at least annually, and at
least 90 percent of the cumulative rebate amount must be paid to the federal government every 5
years. Certain exceptions are provided—and no rebate of arbitrage need be paid—for example,
if all proceeds (other than certain debt service accounts and reserve accounts) are spent within
six months or, with certain limitations, eighteen months or even two years, after the date of
C-44 APPENDIX C: DEBT FINANCING TERMS AND CONCEPTS
issuance, or the amounts are earned with respect to monies in debt service funds that generate
gross investment receipts of not more than $100,000 during the year.
See Chapter 3, General Federal Tax Requirements.
REDEMPTION
The payment of principal of a bond, whether at maturity, or—under certain circumstances
described in the bond—prior to maturity. Redemption of a bond by the issuer prior to maturity is
sometimes referred to as calling the bond. Redemption prior to maturity may be optional,
mandatory, or extraordinary (sometimes also called special).
Optional redemption provisions give the issuer the option to redeem the bonds prior to maturity
from any available funds of the issuer on certain specified dates at specified prices. A
redemption price may consist of the principal amount plus a premium expressed as a percentage
of the principal amount. Since a purchaser of a bond has made an investment decision based in
part on the date the principal is to be repaid, the purchaser generally wants to know under what
circumstances the bond may be redeemed prior to its maturity. There is often a minimum period
of time during which the issuer may not optionally redeem the bond, giving the owner what is
referred to as call protection.
After the call protection period, an issuer may be required to pay the owner a premium to redeem
a bond prior to its maturity. The premium percentage generally decreases the longer the issuer
waits to optionally redeem the bond. For example, the issuer might be required to pay 103
percent of the principal amount of the bond (100 percent of principal plus a premium of 3
percent) to optionally redeem the bond in the eleventh year after its issuance, 102 percent in the
twelfth year, 101 percent in the thirteenth year, and 100 percent in the fourteenth year, and each
year thereafter until maturity.
Mandatory redemption provisions require the issuer to redeem all or a portion of an issue at
certain times, or upon the occurrence or nonoccurrence of certain events. Generally, the issuer is
not required to pay a premium for mandatory redemption and the risk of a mandatory redemption
is taken into account by an investor when purchasing the bond. For example, single-family
mortgage revenue bonds are generally subject to mandatory redemption from proceeds not used
to acquire mortgage loans and from prepayments of mortgage loans.
Another example is mandatory sinking fund redemption, which requires the issuer to regularly
redeem a portion of a term bond of an issue prior to its stated maturity in accordance with a
schedule in the indenture or bond resolution. Mandatory sinking fund redemption results in the
periodic retirement of the principal of term bonds in a manner similar to the periodic retirement
of principal by the payment of serial bonds at maturity. For example, an issue might consist of
$5,000,000 of term bonds maturing in 2011. Mandatory sinking fund redemption provisions for
such bonds might require the issuer to redeem $1,000,000 of the term bonds in each of the years
APPENDIX C: DEBT FINANCING TERMS AND CONCEPTS C-45
2007 through 2011. In each of those years the issuer (or the trustee or fiscal agent) would choose
$1,000,000 of the term bonds at random for repurchase.
Extraordinary redemption provisions allow the issuer to repurchase bonds prior to their maturity
upon the occurrence of certain unforeseen and extraordinary circumstances, such as destruction
of the facilities that were intended to generate revenues to pay the bonds. Extraordinary
redemption is sometimes allowed to be made at the option of the issuer upon the occurrence of
the extraordinary event, or may be required to be made upon such occurrence as an extraordinary
mandatory redemption. For example, the issuer may be permitted to rebuild the facilities with
insurance proceeds or use the insurance proceeds to redeem bonds.
REFUNDING
An issue of new bonds (the refunding bonds) to pay debt service on a prior issue (the refunded
bonds).
Generally, the purpose of a refunding is either to reduce the debt service on the financing or to
remove or replace a restrictive covenant imposed by the terms of the refunded bonds (for
example, an excessive coverage ratio).
The proceeds of the refunding bonds are either deposited in escrow to pay the refunded bonds
when subsequently due (see Advance Refunding) or applied immediately to the payment of the
refunded bonds (see Current Refunding).
For accounting purposes, refunded bonds are not considered part of the issuer's outstanding debt
because the refunded bonds are to be paid from the proceeds of the refunding bonds and not from
the revenues originally pledged. Refunded bonds may continue to hold a lien on the revenues
originally pledged, however, unless the indenture or bond resolution provides for defeasance of
the refunded bonds prior to maturity or redemption.
Advance Refunding
A refunding in which the refunding bonds are issued more than 90 days prior to (in advance of)
the date upon which the refunded bonds will be repaid. Compare to Current Refunding.
Typically, the proceeds of the refunding bonds are placed in escrow and invested in obligations
of the federal government (although other investments such as federal agency obligations may be
used). See also SLGS. Payments received on the investments held in escrow are then applied to
make payments on the refunded bonds as they become due (including by redemption) or, in some
cases, are applied to pay interest on the refunding bonds until also applied to pay principal of the
refunded bonds.
Refunded bonds are considered “prerefunded” when the proceeds of the refunding bonds are
placed in escrow and invested until a date upon which the refunded bonds may be redeemed.
C-46 APPENDIX C: DEBT FINANCING TERMS AND CONCEPTS
The escrow (including earnings thereon) is applied to the payment of interest, principal maturing
prior to the redemption date, and the redemption price of the refunded bonds.
Refunded bonds are considered “escrowed to maturity” when the proceeds of the refunding
bonds are placed in escrow, invested, and applied to payments on the refunded bonds when due,
without redemption prior to maturity.
Generally, in an advance refunding, the revenues originally pledged to the payment of the
refunded bonds become pledged to the payment of the refunding bonds on the date the refunding
bonds are issued. Payment of the refunded bonds is then secured by the escrow. See Crossover
Refunding.
Crossover Refunding
A refunding in which the revenues originally pledged to secure the refunded bonds continue to
be applied to pay the refunded bonds until the refunded bonds mature or are redeemed.
On the date the refunded bonds are paid in full, the pledged revenues “cross over” and are
thereafter pledged to pay the refunding bonds.
During the period when both the refunded and the refunding bonds are outstanding, the escrow
containing the proceeds of the refunding bonds pays interest on the refunding bonds. Then on
the crossover date, the escrow pays the principal of the refunded bonds.
Current Refunding
A refunding in which refunding bonds are issued not more than 90 days before the date upon
which the refunded bonds will be paid.
Generally, the proceeds of the refunding bonds are applied immediately to pay the refunded
bonds. Thereafter, the revenues originally pledged to the payment of the refunded bonds are
pledged to the payment of the refunding bonds.
REGISTERED BOND
A bond for which the name and address of the legal owner is required to be listed on the bond
registration books of the trustee or a registrar.
Generally, interest payments on a registered bond are made by check or wire sent to the
registered owner. The registered owner may not be the beneficial owner of the bond, but rather a
nominee for the beneficial owner. If the registered owner is a broker/dealer acting as nominee
for a client, the bond is referred to as being held in “street name.” Registered bonds are often
held in the name of a securities depository or in the name of a nominee for a securities
APPENDIX C: DEBT FINANCING TERMS AND CONCEPTS C-47
depository, such as Depository Trust Company, which then keeps a record of the broker/dealers
whose clients are the beneficial owners of the bonds. Compare to Coupon Bond.
REGISTRAR
The agent of the issuer appointed to maintain a list of the names and addresses of all registered
owners of the bonds and to record transfers and exchanges of the bonds.
See also Chapter 1, Overview of a Debt Financing – Roles and Responsibilities of Principal
Participants – Trustee/Fiscal Agent/Paying Agent/Registrar/ Authenticating Agent.
REIMBURSEMENT RESOLUTION
See Chapter 3, General Federal Tax Requirements.
REMARKET
To buy and resell to the public previously issued bonds that have been or are required to be
purchased from the original or subsequent holders of the bonds by the issuer or another party
upon the occurrence of certain events specified in the legal documents.
With respect to variable rate bonds, remarketings commonly occur in connection with:
• A tender of the bonds at the option of the holder
• The conversion from one interest rate mode (e.g. weekly variation) to another interest
rate mode (e.g. quarterly variation)
• The conversion of the variable rate bonds to fixed rate bonds, or
• The termination or other alteration of the letter of credit, standby purchase agreement,
or other credit enhancement facility or liquidity facility
With respect to an issue the proceeds of which were escrowed upon closing, a remarketing would
occur upon satisfaction of the requirements for breaking the escrow and disbursing the proceeds
for the purposes for which the bonds were issued.
In a remarketing, bonds tendered by their holders (perhaps mandatorily) for purchase are sold to
new purchasers. A remarketing is usually conducted on behalf of the issuer by an investment
bank or commercial bank acting as remarketing agent pursuant to a remarketing agreement
entered into at the time of the original issuance of the bonds. Frequently, the remarketing agent
is the same firm that acted as the managing underwriter for the original issue.
In many instances, including a conversion to fixed rate or the breaking of escrow, a remarketing
will resemble a new issue in many respects, including the preparation and distribution of a new
C-48 APPENDIX C: DEBT FINANCING TERMS AND CONCEPTS
Official Statement, often called a Reoffering Circular. Unlike a new issue, however, the
proceeds of remarketing do not go to the issuer. Rather, remarketing proceeds are used to pay
the purchase price of the tendered bonds to the previous owners or to reimburse the credit facility
provider for draws made on the credit facility for such purchase.
REMARKETING AGENT
The investment bank or commercial bank retained to remarket bonds that have been tendered for
purchase by the issuer or another party pursuant to an option to sell (a put) that accompanies the
bond.
See also Remarket, Demand Bond (Put Bond or Tender Option Bond), and Variable Rate.
REOFFERING
Literally, offering again.
This term is used in two contexts. First, it is used to describe the offering of bonds by the
underwriter to the public. For example, the initial offering price to the public is often referred to
in shorthand as the reoffering price. Second, the term reoffering is used to describe a form of
remarketing in which an issuer exercises the right to require bondholders to mandatorily tender
their bonds for reoffering to the public, customarily in the context of a conversion from a
variable rate to a fixed rate.
REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL
See Chapter 1, Overview of a Debt Financing – Using a Request for Proposal to Select
Financing Team Members.
REPRICING
See Pricing/Repricing.
RESERVE ACCOUNT (BOND RESERVE ACCOUNT OR DEBT SERVICE RESERVE ACCOUNT)
An account from which monies may be drawn to pay debt service on an issue if pledged
revenues and other amounts available to satisfy debt service are temporarily insufficient.
A reserve account may be funded to its agreed requirement with bond proceeds, or it may be
only partly funded at the time of issuance and expected to reach its full requirement over time
through the accumulation of pledged revenues or other available monies. If a bond reserve
account is used in whole or part to pay debt service, the issuer usually is required to replenish the
reserve account from revenues available after payment of debt service.
APPENDIX C: DEBT FINANCING TERMS AND CONCEPTS C-49
A typical reserve requirement for an enterprise revenue bond would be an amount equal to
maximum annual debt service on the issue, but not more than 10 percent of the original principal
amount of the issue.
The size of the reserve account and the investment of the monies held therein are subject to
restrictions contained in the federal tax law for tax-exempt bonds. Investment earnings on bond
reserve account monies may also be subject to yield restriction and rebate.
Sometimes, reserve account requirements are satisfied by the provision of a surety policy instead
of a deposit of cash. See Surety.
REVENUES/GROSS REVENUES/NET REVENUES
The income produced by a given source.
In the context of revenue bonds, revenues typically means the income and receipts generated
from the operation of the project or loan program being financed, or from the enterprise of which
the project or loan program is a part, or from other nontax sources—for example, water charges
in the case of water revenue bonds, lease payments in the case of lease revenue bonds, or loan
repayments in the case of mortgage revenue bonds or a conduit financing. Such revenues would
normally be pledged to the payment of the revenue bonds.
Gross revenues refers to the total receipts derived from the operation of the project, program, or
enterprise. Net revenues refers to the amount available after subtracting certain costs and
expenses, most commonly for operation and maintenance, from gross revenues.
REVERSE VALIDATION ACTION
This term is sometimes used to describe the exclusive procedure under the California law for an
interested person to challenge the legality of a bond financing. The validation statutes provide
that if the issuer does not file a validation action concerning the financing, then any interested
person may file an action within 60 days from when the financing is approved—a so-called
reverse validation action. Once an interested person files a reverse validation action, the case
proceeds in a manner similar to a validation action by the issuer.
SEC REGISTRATION
The filing of information with the SEC in accordance with the Securities Act of 1933 as a
prerequisite to selling or marketing securities.
Most bonds issued by or on behalf of state or local governmental entities are exempt from such
registration requirements.
C-50 APPENDIX C: DEBT FINANCING TERMS AND CONCEPTS
SEC RULE 15C2-12
A rule promulgated by the SEC under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 concerning
disclosure and continuing disclosure requirements for municipal securities. The full text of SEC
Rule 15c2-12 is contained in Appendix D – Legal References – Federal Laws of General
Application to Public Finance. See also Chapter 10, Continuing Disclosure and Investor
Relations Programs.
SECONDARY MARKET
The market in which bonds are purchased from bondholders who have held such bonds for
investment purposes, as opposed to being purchased directly from the issuer or from the issuer
through an underwriter.
SECURITY
The features of a debt instrument designed to reduce the risk of nonpayment or late payment,
including the sources of monies for timely payment.
For example, a pledge of revenues that restricts the use of the revenues solely to payment of
operating expenses of an enterprise and debt service on bonds issued to finance that enterprise
provides security for the repayment of those bonds. Similarly, credit enhancement also provides
additional security.
SELF-INSURANCE RESERVE FINANCING
A financing in which the proceeds of the issue are deposited in an insurance reserve fund that is
used to pay liability claims against participating entities as such claims arise.
The fund is invested and, depending upon the investment earnings and the claims paid, may
require additional deposits from participating entities.
Typically, an entity separate from the participating entities, such as a joint powers authority, is
the issuer of the bonds and is responsible for the administration of the insurance reserve fund,
including the investment of the fund and the payment of claims (although a separate entity may
administer these functions through a contractual arrangement with the issuer). Insurance is
provided to participating entities (which may be cities, counties, and other public entities) that
pay premiums for the coverage. The premiums paid by the participating entities constitute the
revenue source for the repayment of the issue.
SELLING GROUP
See Chapter 1, Overview of a Debt Financing – Roles and Responsibilities of Principal
Participants – Underwriter/Placement Agent/Purchaser.
APPENDIX C: DEBT FINANCING TERMS AND CONCEPTS C-51
SERIAL BONDS
Bonds of an issue, which are payable as to principal in amounts due at successive regular
intervals, generally annual or semiannual and usually in the early years of the term of the issue.
An issue may consist of both serial bonds and term bonds.
For example, an issue in the total principal amount of $4,000,000 might consist of serial bonds
maturing in the years 1988 through 2000 and $2,595,000 of term bonds maturing in 2011 (but
subject to mandatory sinking fund redemption in the years 2001 through 2010) as follows:
Term Bond
Mandatory Sinking
Year Serial Maturities Fund Payments
1988 70,000
1989 75,000
1990 80,000
1991 85,000
1992 95,000
1993 100,000
1994 105,000
1995 110,000
1996 120,000
1997 130,000
1998 135,000
1999 145,000
2000 155,000
2001 165,000
2002 180,000
2003 190,000
2004 200,000
2005 215,000
2006 230,000
2007 245,000
2008 265,000
2009 280,000
2010 300,000
325,000*
* Payment at maturity
SINKING FUND PAYMENTS OR INSTALLMENTS
Payments made by an issuer (often into a sinking fund) to provide for the redemption or payment
at maturity of term bonds. Also called mandatory sinking account payments or sinking fund
installments.
C-52 APPENDIX C: DEBT FINANCING TERMS AND CONCEPTS
Generally, sinking fund payments are mandatory in a specified amount for each payment period
to provide for the periodic redemption of term bonds prior to their final maturity. See the
example under the Serial Bonds definition. The individual term bonds to be redeemed each year
are customarily selected at random by the trustee.
SLGS
An acronym (pronounced “slugs”) for a type of U.S. Treasury obligation, the complete name of
which is United States Treasury Securities - State and Local Government Series.
SLGS are an investment vehicle made available by the U.S. Bureau of Public Debt for
investment of gross proceeds. The Bureau of Public Debt offers three types of SLGS, which are
commonly referred to as Demand Deposit SLGS, Time Deposit SLGS, and Zero SLGS.
Generally, Time Deposit SLGS are acquired in connection with an advance refunding. The
SLGS are held in escrow, and principal and interest received on the SLGS are used to pay debt
service on the prior issue. Because the issuer can specify the rate (subject to the maximum rate
specified in a weekly schedule) earned on the SLGS, the issuer may design the escrow
investment to meet any yield restrictions while maximizing its permitted investment return.
Demand Deposit SLGS are intended for the investment of monies subject to the rebate
requirements. Earnings on Demand Deposit SLGS are not subject to the rebate requirement.
The interest rate on the Demand Deposit SLGS is determined weekly, effective each Monday
and is calculated based upon a formula which takes into account the Federal Funds Rate which is
published by the Federal Reserve Board and an estimated average marginal tax rate of owners of
short-term municipal securities and an administrative fee. The estimated marginal tax rate and
the administrative fee may be changed periodically by the Bureau of Public Debt. Zero SLGS
bear interest at 0 percent, have flexible purchase and redemption terms, and are designed to be
used to average down investment yields on open market securities for yield restriction purposes.
SPECIAL TAX COUNSEL
A law firm retained by the issuer to render the opinion that interest on an issue is tax-exempt
under circumstances where the firm retained as bond counsel either does not have the expertise
or is otherwise unable to render that opinion.
SPREAD
See Underwriter's Gross Spread (Underwriter’s Discount) and Chapter 1, Overview of a
Debt Financing – Roles and Responsibilities of Principal Participants –
Underwriter/Placement Agent/Purchaser.
APPENDIX C: DEBT FINANCING TERMS AND CONCEPTS C-53
STANDBY PURCHASE AGREEMENT
An agreement between an issuer and a financial institution, usually a bank, whereby the bank
agrees to purchase bonds in the event the bondholders tender them to the issuer and they are not
remarketed to new purchasers.
See also Demand Bond (Put Bond or Tender Option Bond) and compare to Letter of Credit
and Line of Credit.
STATE INFORMATION DEPOSITORY (SID)
An information depository for a particular state approved by the MSRB in accordance with SEC
Rule 15c2-12. Currently, there is no state information depository for California. See generally,
Disclosure and Continuing Disclosure.
SURETY
In the public finance context, a surety policy is a form of insurance provided by a bond insurer to
satisfy a reserve fund requirement for a bond issue. Under this arrangement, instead of
depositing cash in a reserve fund, the issuer buys a surety policy by paying a one-time premium
equal to some percentage of the face amount of the policy. If the reserve fund is needed to make
a debt service payment, the trustee notifies the surety provider and the provider makes the
payment, up to the face amount of the policy. The issuer then has an obligation to reimburse the
provider for the payment, plus interest.
SYNDICATE
See Chapter 1, Overview of a Debt Financing – Roles and Responsibilities of Principal
Participants – Underwriter/Placement Agent/Purchaser.
TAKEDOWN
See Underwriter's Gross Spread (Underwriter’s Discount) and Chapter 1, Overview of a
Debt Financing – Roles and Responsibilities of Principal Participants –
Underwriter/Placement Agent/Purchaser.
TAX ALLOCATION (TAX INCREMENT)
See Chapter 6, Types of Financing Obligations – Tax Allocation and Other Redevelopment
Bonds.
C-54 APPENDIX C: DEBT FINANCING TERMS AND CONCEPTS
TAX CODE
The Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended. See also Treasury Regulations.
TEFRA NOTICE, HEARING, AND APPROVAL
See Chapter 3, General Federal Tax Requirements. The published notice, public hearing, and
approval by elected officials required by Section 147(f) of the Internal Revenue Code for
qualified private activity bonds; originally enacted in the Tax Equity and Fiscal Responsibility
Act (TEFRA) of 1982.
TEMPORARY PERIODS
See Chapter 3, General Federal Tax Requirements. The periods during which the federal tax
rules relating to arbitrage yield restriction permit certain gross proceeds of an issue to be invested
at a yield that is materially higher than the yield on the issue.
The most important of these is the temporary period generally available for the investment of
monies in construction funds or loan acquisition funds after the date the governmental
obligations are issued. In addition, a 13-month temporary period is provided for monies in
certain debt service funds—generally including funds used primarily to achieve a proper
matching of revenues and debt service within each year.
10B-5 STANDARD
10b-5 standard refers to the formulation of the anti-fraud rule in securities law contained in SEC
Rule 10b-5. See Appendix D – Legal References – Federal Laws of General Application to
Public Finance. The language of the 10b-5 standard is often contained in legal opinions or
closing certificates. It is generally required that an issuer and/or a nongovernmental borrower
certify that the descriptions of their financial condition and operations contained in an Official
Statement meet the 10b-5 standard as a part of the closing documentation, as well as in
connection with the execution of a bond purchase agreement. See generally Chapter 10,
Continuing Disclosure and Investor Relations Programs.
TENDER OFFER
The process by which a potential purchaser of bonds (which may be the issuer of the bonds)
solicits from the holders of such bonds offers to sell those bonds to the purchaser upon the terms
specified in the solicitation.
This technique borrows its name from the corporate securities arena, where shares in a company
may be acquired by the purchase of common stock on the open market pursuant to a tender offer.
In the context of public finance, a tender offer may be a refinancing method in which an issuer
APPENDIX C: DEBT FINANCING TERMS AND CONCEPTS C-55
distributes, by publication or otherwise, to the owners of its bonds an offer either to purchase a
specific aggregate amount of such bonds at a specific price if such bonds are tendered by a
specified date, or to utilize a stated amount of money to purchase the bonds by accepting tenders
of the bonds in order of price until the stated amount is exhausted. Bonds purchased by an issuer
pursuant to a tender offer are usually deemed retired and no longer outstanding under the
indenture or bond resolution.
While an issuer may utilize the tender offer technique to reduce its outstanding debt by use of
excess cash on hand, it is more commonly used as an alternative to an advance refunding. In
such a case, a new issue might be issued subsequent to or concurrently with the tender offer to
provide the monies with which to purchase tendered bonds.
TENDER OPTION BOND
See Demand Bond (Put Bond or Tender Option Bond).
TERM
With respect to a single bond, the period of time until the maturity date of the bond and with
respect to an issue, the period until the maturity date of the last bond of the issue to mature.
TERM BONDS
Originally, the maturity due at the end of the term of an issue; now, more commonly, a maturity
that is subject to redemption over a specified period from sinking fund payments.
See also Redemption and Sinking Fund Payments or Installments.
TRANCHE
A colloquial term used to refer to a portion of financing for a project or program. Sometimes
used to describe a series of bonds (i.e. “The Series 2005 bonds represent the first tranche of
financing for the airport expansion project.”) Derived from the French, the term originally meant
a series of bonds issued for sale in a foreign country.
TREASURY REGULATIONS
The federal income tax regulations adopted by the U.S. Department of Treasury. Treasury
Regulations are designed to provide additional detail and interpretation of the Tax Code.
TRUE INTEREST COST (TIC)
A measure of the interest cost of an issue that accounts for the time value of money.
C-56 APPENDIX C: DEBT FINANCING TERMS AND CONCEPTS
The obligation to pay a dollar today is not the same as the obligation to pay a dollar 10 years
from now. Presumably, one could take a much smaller sum, invest it today and let the interest
on that investment accumulate and compound until one had a dollar on the date 10 years from
now. The smaller sum is called the present value of having that dollar 10 years from now, and
the interest rate necessary to accumulate and compound that smaller sum up to that dollar 10
years from now is called the discount rate. If one knows the future value (the dollar 10 years
from now) and the discount rate, the process of calculating the present value is called discounting
the future value to the present. With these general concepts in mind, the TIC of an issue can be
more fully defined and compared to the NIC for the same issue. The TIC is sometimes also
called the internal rate of return or the net effective interest rate.
The TIC for an issue is the annual discount rate which, when used to discount all debt service
payments on the issue to the date of initial delivery of the issue, using a compounding interval
equal to the interest payment periods for the issue, results in the aggregate present value of such
debt service payments being equal to the original purchase price (including accrued interest) of
the issue. For the purpose of calculating the TIC, sinking fund payments for any term bonds are
considered principal payments. Because there is no algebraic formula for the direct computation
of the TIC, it must be determined either by successive approximation on a computer or calculator
or by using present value tables.
Consider the following example: An issuer chooses to sell $10,000,000 of bonds in 5 separate
maturities (1 year through 5 years) at par values of $1,000,000, $2,000,000, $2,000,000,
$2,000,000, and $3,000,000, respectively, and at interest rates of 5.0, 5.1, 5.2, 5.25, and 5.30
percent, respectively. The price paid for the issue is par, i.e. $10,000,000. See Example 2 under
the definition of Net Interest Cost (NIC)—the NIC in that example is 5.238 percent. The TIC
as demonstrated by the chart below is 5.236 percent.
Time of Present Value
Payment Interest Principal Payments Discounted
(Months) Paid Paid by 5.235 percent
6 $ 260,000 $ 253,370
12 260,000 $1,000,000 1,196,530
18 235,000 217,470
24 235,000 2,000,000 2,015,500
30 184,000 161,700
36 184,000 2,000,000 1,870,300
42 132,000 110,150
48 132,000 2,000,000 1,733,800
54 79,500 63,000
60 79,500 3,000,000 2,378,180
Total $1,781,000 $10,000,000 $10,000,000
The TIC is the rate that will discount all future payments so that the sum of their present values
equals the price. Note that the sum of the present value of all the cash flows equals $10,000,000
when discounted at 5.236 percent. Interest is assumed to be compounded semiannually.
APPENDIX C: DEBT FINANCING TERMS AND CONCEPTS C-57
If the price paid for the issue had been 97 percent of par, the TIC would have differed even more
from the NIC. The price would have equaled $9,700,000. The TIC that would discount the
present values to $9,700,000 is 6.24 percent, whereas the NIC for the same issue would be 6.12
percent. See Net Interest Cost. The TIC is often used to compare bids at a competitive sale.
See also Yield.
TRUSTEE
See Chapter 1, Overview of a Debt Financing – Roles and Responsibilities of Principal
Participants – Trustee/Fiscal Agent/Paying Agent/Registrar/Authenticating Agent.
UNDERWRITE
To agree to purchase bonds, generally upon initial issuance, in a guaranteed amount, for a
guaranteed price, and with the intention to resell the bonds to investors.
In a best efforts underwriting, the underwriter agrees only to use its best efforts to resell bonds to
be purchased from the issuer and only agrees to purchase those bonds if the underwriter can
resell them.
See Chapter 1, Overview of a Debt Financing – Roles and Responsibilities of Principal
Participants – Underwriter/Placement Agent/Purchaser. See also Competitive Sale and
Negotiated Sale.
UNDERWRITER
See Chapter 1, Overview of a Debt Financing – Roles and Responsibilities of Principal
Participants – Underwriter/ Placement Agent/Purchaser.
UNDERWRITER'S COUNSEL
See Chapter 1, Overview of a Debt Financing – Roles and Responsibilities of Principal
Participants – Underwriter's Counsel.
UNDERWRITER'S GROSS SPREAD (UNDERWRITER'S DISCOUNT)
The difference between the purchase price paid to the issuer for a new issue and the sum of the
prices at which the bonds are initially offered to the investing public by the underwriter.
To the extent that the initial offering prices are subsequently lowered by the underwriter, the full
amount of the spread may not be realized by the underwriter. The spread is usually expressed in
points or fractions thereof. The spread generally consists of:
C-58 APPENDIX C: DEBT FINANCING TERMS AND CONCEPTS
• Management Fee. A fee paid to the managing underwriter for handling the affairs of
the syndicate, including, in the case of a negotiated sale, structuring the issue and
negotiating with the issuer.
• Expenses. Any advertising and printing costs to the underwriter, underwriter's
counsel's fees and expenses, computer expenses, travel expenses, MSRB fees,
CDIAC fees, and other similar expenses.
• Takedown. Normally the largest component of the spread, similar to a commission,
the takedown represents the income derived by the selling broker or dealer from the
sale of the bonds. If bonds are sold by a member of a syndicate, the seller is entitled
to the full takedown (also called the total takedown). If bonds are sold by a dealer,
which is not a member of the syndicate, such seller receives only that portion of the
takedown known as the concession or dealer’s allowance, with the balance (often
termed the additional takedown) retained by the syndicate.
• Risk. This is the amount of compensation for risks incurred by the underwriter in
underwriting the bond issue, relating to the difficulty of marketing the issue, bond
market conditions, and the amount of bonds remaining to be resold after the execution
of the bond purchase agreement. There is rarely a risk component in the underwriting
spread.
In the case of a syndicated offering, a portion of any residual is generally paid to each
underwriter within the syndicate on a pro rata basis according to the number of bonds each dealer
has committed to sell without regard to the actual sales by each member.
VALIDATION
Sometimes refers to the process of undertaking a validation action. Validation may also refer to
the validating acts passed each year by the California Legislature to validate certain types of
actions taken by local agencies—including bond financings. These acts, however, do not protect
a bond financing from challenge on the grounds of unconstitutionality under the California
Constitution.
VALIDATION ACTION
A special procedure under California law that allows an issuer to have the legality of a bond
financing approved, including any issue regarding constitutionality of the bond issue. The issuer
files a lawsuit naming “all interested persons” as defendants. Notice of the lawsuit is given by
publication in the newspaper and by posting public notices. If no interested person comes
forward and challenges the financing, the issuer may ask the court for a judgment declaring that
the financing is valid. This process takes approximately 45 days. Once the court issues a
validation judgment, and the 30-day appeal period expires, the financing cannot later be
challenged in court. However, if an interested person does step forward in a timely manner to
challenge the financing, the process can take much longer.
APPENDIX C: DEBT FINANCING TERMS AND CONCEPTS C-59
VARIABLE RATE
An interest rate that periodically changes based upon an index or a pricing procedure.
For example, the interest rate may be a specified percentage of the weekly U.S. Treasury bill
auction rate or of the Federal Home Loan Bank borrowing rate, or may be the rate established by
the remarketing agent as the rate necessary to remarket the bonds at par. The variable rate may
change on a daily, weekly, monthly, or other periodic basis.
Variable rate bonds generally have a demand feature (see also Demand Bond (Put Bond or
Tender Option Bond)) allowing the owner to demand that the issuer or another party repurchase
the bond upon a specified number of days' notice or at certain times which reflect the intervals at
which the rate varies. For example, a variable rate bond bearing interest at a rate, which is set
each week, customarily has a demand feature allowing the bondholder to put the bond on one
week's notice. Investors treat such a bond as having a term of one week. Because interest
charged on money borrowed for a short term is normally less than interest on money borrowed
for a long term, variable rates are normally lower than long-term fixed rates.
A variable rate is often called a floating rate. Since variable rates are lower than long-term fixed
rates, variable rate bonds are also referred to as lower floaters.
VOLUME CAP
See Chapter 3, General Federal Tax Requirements. Under federal tax law, the limit on the
aggregate amount of certain tax-exempt qualified private activity bonds that may be issued
during any calendar year.
See also Appendix A – Working With State Agencies – California Debt Limit Allocation
Committee.
WINNING BID RATE
The lowest rate specified in the bids submitted by potential holders for an auction rate security,
which if selected by the auction agent as the auction rate, will result in the sale of all of the
securities subject to the bid orders.
WORKOUT
The process of trying to resolve a default or other payment problem in a bond financing. A
workout may involve assembling a workout team of professionals to assist in the process.
Workouts often involve negotiations with the bondholders (such as seeking approval to
restructure the debt) and with the persons who are obligated to provide funds for repayment of
the bonds (such as defaulting landowners in an assessment district).
C-60 APPENDIX C: DEBT FINANCING TERMS AND CONCEPTS
YIELD
See Chapter 3, General Federal Tax Requirements. As used in the Tax Code, the discount
rate that makes the present value of all payments with respect to an investment equal to its
purchase price or, in the case of bonds, equal to the initial offering price at which a substantial
amount of the governmental obligations is sold to the public.
If proceeds are used to make loans to nongovernmental persons (as is often the case with
qualified private activity bonds), the underwriter's gross spread, costs of issuance, and costs of
originating, carrying, or selling the conduit obligations may be recovered under the conduit
obligations without increasing the yield on those conduit obligations.
Additionally, premiums for bond insurance and other credit enhancement fees may be treated as
additional interest, thereby increasing the yield of the issue.
YIELD CURVE
Yield curve means the curve obtained by plotting the yield of investment or debt instruments (on
the x-axis) against time (on the y-axis). The typical yield curve is upward sloping, so that the
shorter the maturity of the instrument, the lower the yield of that instrument. However, this is
not always true, and sometimes yield curves flatten out or even become inverted. The yield
curve varies over time in response to general economic conditions and the yield curve may be
differently sloped for different types of instruments depending on credit quality, tax-exempt
status, and other factors.
YIELD RESTRICTION
See Arbitrage Yield Restriction.
YIELD VERIFICATION CONSULTANT
The firm retained by the issuer to verify the calculations leading to the conclusion that the yield
on investments acquired with the proceeds of an issue does not exceed the amount permitted
under the federal arbitrage rules.
For example, a yield verification consultant is often retained to verify that the yield on the
escrow purchased with the proceeds of an advance refunding does not exceed the yield on the
refunding bonds.
Similarly, such a firm is also often retained to verify that the effective rate of interest on
mortgages acquired with the proceeds of a single-family mortgage revenue bond does not exceed
the yield on the bonds by more than 1-1/8 percentage points.
APPENDIX C: DEBT FINANCING TERMS AND CONCEPTS C-61
ZERO COUPON BONDS
See Compound Interest Bond.
C-62 APPENDIX C: DEBT FINANCING TERMS AND CONCEPTS